Benefit from using recycling red blood cells in cardiovascular surgery.

Objective: To show if blood salvage is indicated in all patients submitted to cardiovascular surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass.

Methods: We studied 77 consecutive patients submitted to cardiac surgery with use of blood salvage and cardiopulmonary bypass from November 2010 to June 2012. The sample was divided in three groups, depending on the time of cardiopulmonary bypass.