[Giant hemangioma of the tongue: combined use of perioperative blood conservation procedures].

A giant hemangioma of the tongue was resected in a 16-year-old otherwise healthy young man (ASA I). Despite a total blood loss of 4,300 ml, corresponding to 105% of the patients intravascular blood volume, no allogeneic red blood cells had to be transfused intraoperatively. Besides minimization of intraoperative blood loss with preoperative alcohol injections into the tumor, ligation of large tumor-perfusing arteries, application of fibrin glue, skillful surgical technique, positioning of the surgical field above the level of the heart, controlled hypotension and maintenance of normothermia, acute normovolemic hemodilution (augmented by preoperative administration of recombinant human erythropoetin - rhEpo) and autotransfusion of lost blood were used for recovery of autologous blood. Under the protection of hyperoxia, a decrease of the hemoglobin (Hb) concentration to 4.2 g/dl was bridged by extreme normovolemic hemodilution. No signs of immanent or manifest tissue hypoxia were encountered. Retransfusion of autologous red blood cells was only started when surgical control of bleeding was achieved. Additionally a total of 4 units of fresh frozen plasma were infused for stabilization of plasma coagulation. After a 9-hour surgical duration, the patient was transferred to the intensive care unit, normotensive (with low-dose infusion of norepinephrin) and normothermic with a Hb concentration of 5.6 g/dl. In the face of an increasing lactacidosis 2 units of packed red blood cells were transfused on post surgical day 1.