Giving for Therapy or a Planned Surgery

Autologous (aw-tawl’-o-gus) blood donation is a procedure in which you give blood for later transfusion to yourself.

Directed blood donation is a procedure in which a friend or family member donates blood specifically for a patient, with a doctor’s orders.

Therapeutic blood donation is a procedure for individuals with a medical condition requiring phlebotomy.  Conditions like polycythemia or porphyria cutanea tarda may require patients to have blood drawn as a form of treatment.  These procedures require a doctor’s order.

Donors with hereditary hemochromatosis who meet all suitability requirements for allogeneic blood donations may donate blood for the general blood supply.  These donors will be allowed to donate blood more often than every eight weeks and their blood may be used for transfusion if otherwise suitable.  There will be no fee for phlebotomies performed on individuals with hereditary hemochromatosis whether or not they meet requirements to be allogeneic donors.

For more information on Special Donations, please contact the Special Donation department at (800) 280-5337.