Importance of the preoperative haemoglobin concentration in arterial surgery.

A study of reconstructive operations for ischaemia of the legs showed a correlation between a high preoperative haemoglobin level and early postoperative reocclusion. The mean preoperative haemoglobin level of patients with early reocclusion (165 +/- 3 g/l, SEM) was significantly higher (p less than 0.001) than that of patients who did not reocclude (153 +/- 3 g/l). There was no significant difference in the total serum protein concentrations, suggesting that dehydration was not the cause of the difference observed in haemoglobin concentration. The mechanism may be the lower flow rate associated with the higher haemoglobin content and increased blood viscosity.