It is better to receive your own blood rather than that of another donor, for a number of reasons.

Firstly, the risk of an allergic reaction will be minimal as the blood is your own. Neither will you be at risk of any infectious diseases such as hepatitis, syphilis or AIDS.

And if you have a rare blood type, such as Rhesus Negative, making a donation for yourself ensures that there will be blood that is suitable for you if required.

The procedure for donating blood for yourself is safe and well-tested.

You can make your donation as early as a few weeks, or as late as 3 working days before surgery, after which your blood can be stored for up to five weeks.

Should you require surgery urgently, you can still make a donation for yourself. In such a case, your blood will be collected in the operating theatre just before your surgery, after which it can be stored for up to 24 hours.

If you are scheduled to undergo surgery, you can consult your surgeon about making a blood donation for yourself. Please note that a fee is chargeable for such donations.

If you decide to make a donation, you will be given iron supplements to replenish the iron lost through the donation. These should be taken before, during and two weeks after the donation.

On the appointed date, simply go to the Bloodbank@HSA or your hospital's Autologous Blood Clinic and make your donation. If more blood is needed, you can make further donations once every three days. Not to worry though; a local painkiller will be administered and you'll hardly feel a thing!

As your surgery date approaches, the blood will be sent to your hospital for your own use.

If you need more information about ABT, please call us at 6213 0626.