Quantitative and qualitative analysis of platelet-rich plasma collection using the Haemonetics Cell Saver 5 in open heart surgery

Many traditional autologous blood recovery systems (ABRSs) have undergone modifications to enable them to collect platelet-rich plasma (PRP). Because of the growing demand for autologous platelet gel (APG) in cardiac surgery, many open heart teams are faced with the choice of using their existing ABRS or purchasing a dedicated PRP device. This study was conducted to address the issues we had about our use of the Haemonetics Cell Saver 5 (CS5) to collect PRP during open heart surgery at our institution. PRP and platelet-poor plasma (PPP) were collected on 20 "first-time" elective open heart surgical patients. Baseline, PRP, and PPP platelet counts, as well as modified thrombelastograms (TEGs), were performed on all study patients. The mean baseline, PRP, and PPP platelet counts were 232,450, 1,348,850, and 18,100/mm3, respectively. We found a strong positive correlation (r = +0.7142) between the maximum amplitude (MA) of our modified PRP TEG and the platelet count of the PRP. Using the CS5, we achieved a mean platelet multiple of greater than six times baseline, which compares favorably with the multiple produced using dedicated PRP devices. These data support the conclusion that we achieved a high platelet multiple with the CS5, and our use of a modified TEG showed that platelet function of the collected PRP was preserved.