As a patient, every decision you make about an operation or procedure is a big one. Although having a planned surgery provides additional options unavailable to patients receiving emergency surgeries, these choices can present difficult decisions for the patients and their families. Where will you have the surgery? When is the best time to schedule the procedure? Which doctor or surgeon are you comfortable with? Another option that more patients are choosing each year is to have a bloodless surgery.

A bloodless surgery refers to a set of medical and surgical techniques and procedures designed to limit the amount of blood lost during an operation in an effort to eliminate the need for a blood transfusion. The main reason patients choose to have a bloodless surgery is because they prefer not to receive blood products from other people. There are many reasons a patient may feel inclined not to receive donated blood products, including religious convictions and concerns about contaminated blood.

The first step in planning a bloodless surgery is to find a hospital near you that has a bloodless medicine program. Most of these programs require a registration process. Typically, this process involves the patient meeting with the director or a representative of the bloodless medicine program who reviews the patient's medical history and determines if he or she is an eligible candidate for a bloodless surgery. In other cases, the patient simply signs a medical directive during their registration process indicating that they do not wish to receive blood products. The registration process is entirely unique to the particular hospital where the bloodless surgery will be performed.

Once the decision to have a bloodless operation has been made, there are a number of medical preparations the hospital's bloodless medicine program will make. This includes monitoring the patient's hemoglobin levels and even administering certain medications aimed at boosting the patient's blood counts. However, there are also specific preparation measures that the patient must take prior to his or her procedure. Below is a list of three important preparations that every patient must make before their bloodless surgery.

1.) Stop smoking -

If the patient is a smoker, they are strongly encouraged to quit smoking for up to several weeks prior to the operation. It does not matter if the patient is a heavy smoker or occasional smoker - if the patient has been smoking for five years or fifty years. Smoking inhibits the blood's ability to deliver oxygen to the body's vital organs and tissues - a key area of focus during a bloodless surgery.

2.) Ask your doctor if you are taking aspirin, ibuprofen and certain other medications -

Certain medications - including aspirin, ibuprofen, vitamin E, anticoagulants and blood thinners - can reduce blood clotting ability. If blood clotting ability is reduced, more blood will be lost during a surgical procedure. The patient should consult with his or her doctor to determine if they are a good candidate for bloodless surgery. The hospital's bloodless medicine program will also provide the patient with a complete list of medications that might interfere with a bloodless surgery.

3.) Dietary preparation measures -

Patients preparing for a bloodless medical procedure are encouraged to enrich their diets with foods high in iron. Iron is an essential nutrient for most human physiology, including oxygen transport. Iron deficiencies limit red blood cells' ability to carry oxygen. Patients are encouraged to eat plenty of foods high in iron, including the following:

• Lean, red meat

• Shellfish

• Eggs

• Fortified cereals

Some bloodless medicine programs will also encourage the patient to add vitamin supplements to their diets, including iron and vitamin C. Vitamin C increases the body's ability to absorb iron more efficiently.