Clinical Effectiveness and Economic Impact of Intraoperative Cell Salvage in Pediatric Scoliosis Surgery.

Cohort studyInternational journal of spine surgery· Sep 2026

Clinical Effectiveness and Economic Impact of Intraoperative Cell Salvage in Pediatric Scoliosis Surgery.

Borja Lara-Galdón, Jose María Hernández-Mateo, Alberto Anaya-Torres … Luis Alejandro Esparragoza-Cabrera

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Spine SurgeryCohort studyQ2IF 1.9

Routine intraoperative cell salvage in pediatric scoliosis surgery was not associated with fewer transfusions or shorter stays.

Clinical Effectiveness and Economic Impact of Intraoperative Cell Salvage in Pediatric Scoliosis Surgery.

Borja Lara-Galdón … Luis Alejandro Esparragoza-Cabrera

International journal of spine surgery · Sep 2026 · Q2 in Orthopedics

Background

Intraoperative cell salvage is widely used in pediatric scoliosis surgery to reduce allogeneic transfusion requirements.

Purpose

The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and cost implications of intraoperative cell salvage in pediatric scoliosis surgery.

Methods

A retrospective observational study was conducted, including 75 patients who underwent posterior instrumented spinal fusion between 2023 and 2025 at a tertiary referral center.

n = 75 patients

Results

Postoperative transfusion rate with versus without cell salvage; no significant difference (P = 0.32), and the rate was not lower with cell salvage.

22.8%

Cell salvage, postoper

11.1%

No cell salvage, posto

More results

Fifty-seven patients (76%) underwent surgery with cell salvage.

Patients with higher reinfused blood volumes had significantly greater estimated blood loss and higher postoperative transfusion rates (41.2% vs 15.0%; P = 0.04).

The estimated cost per transfusion episode was €4754, while the cost of cell salvage was €250 per procedure.

More results

Cost neutrality would require avoiding 1 transfusion per 19 procedures, a threshold not achieved.

“

Conclusion

Routine intraoperative cell salvage in pediatric scoliosis surgery was not associated with reduced transfusion rates or shorter hospital stays but increased health care costs. Its use should be considered selectively.

Clinical Effectiveness and Economic Impact of Intraoperative Cell Salvage in Pediatric Scoliosis Surgery.

Clinical Effectiveness and Economic Impact of Intraoperative Cell Salvage in Pediatric Scoliosis Surgery.

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