What is an autologous donation?
If you are having planned surgery, and you are physically qualified, your doctor may give you the option of donating your blood for your own use. This is known as an autologous donation.

When would my doctor recommend that I donate for myself?
When medically appropriate, a patient can benefit from receiving his or her own blood. The advantages include the elimination of infectious disease transmission and a reduced risk of having a reaction to the transfusion.

However, some patients are not able to donate blood for themselves before a surgery because of an existing medical condition or because they have an infection which could make the donation risky.

Talk with your doctor about which option is most appropriate for you, including utilizing blood salvaging techniques during or after the procedure.

There is an additional charge for opting to donate blood for yourself.

The Community Blood Supply
Blood will be available for you if you are unable to donate for yourself. The Southern Region asks almost 1,200 people to donate blood each weekday to sustain the community blood supply. These volunteers help to ensure that blood is on-hand for anyone who needs it.

The blood supply today is safer than ever. Every blood donation given to the American Red Cross community blood supply undergoes up to 12 tests. Read about how blood is tested.

Giving Blood for Yourself
If you and your doctor decide the best option for you is a self donation, the physician will contact the American Red Cross by sending a Special Collections Order Form.

Once notified by your physician, the Red Cross will then contact you to schedule an appointment for you to donate blood. If you do not hear from the Red Cross after you know that your physician has faxed the form, please call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE (800-448-3543) and select option 3.

We recommend that blood donations be given a week apart and up to seven working days before the date of your surgery. After the blood is given, it is good for 35 days.

If you have questions about this process, please call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE(800-448-3543), Monday through Friday, between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., and select Option 3.

For more information about giving blood for yourself, please visit the American Association of Blood Banks.

What to Expect

If you have ever donated blood for the American Red Cross community blood supply, the process involved in giving a donation for yourself is very similar.

The donation itself takes about ten minutes, but plan to be at the American Red Cross Community Donor Center for 60 to 90 minutes in order to complete the necessary pre-donation screening and paperwork.