ACCEPT

• If the donor is fully recovered 
• If the wound is completely healed
• If the donor is discharged from follow-up

 DEFER

• If donor has surgery planned in the next 90 days
• For 6 months from major surgery
• For one week from other surgery (see additional information)
• For one week after a general anaesthetic
• For 24 hours after sedation
• For 4 months after any flexible endoscopic procedure
• For 12 months after a caesarean section
• For 12 months after an autologous transfusion ( or cell salvage) in or out of the Republic of Ireland

 If the appropriate deferral time for the type of surgery has lapsed, donor must still be deferred if:

• If wound/s are not healed, until 7 days from date of full healing
• If there is any infection, until 2 weeks from date of full recovery
• If normal mobility has not been regained. Extend the appropriate surgery deferral code
• If donor requires post-operative treatment or continues to attend hospital/see Consultant. Extend the appropriate surgery deferral code

 PERMANENTLY EXCLUDE:

• Donors with a history of total gastrectomy
• If surgery was for a malignancy
• Donors who have had neurological surgery (brain, spinal or peripheral nerve surgery) in the UK (including Northern Ireland, England, Scotland, Wales, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man) on or after 01 January 1980
• Donors who have undergone burr hole surgery in the UK on or after 01 January 1980
• Donors who have undergone any spinal surgery in the UK on or after 01 January 1980 where the spinal cord was damaged or dura mater was breached
• If the donor had a dura mater graft
• If the donor had a homologous blood transfusion in the Republic of Ireland on or after 01 January 1980
• If the donor had a homologous blood transfusion outside the Republic of Ireland at any time

DEFER AND REFER

• If the donor had dura mater- see Neurological Operations

SEE IF RELEVANT 

• ANAESTHETIC
• NEUROLOGICAL OPERATIONS
• TRANSFUSIONS

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION 

Major Surgery – Definition: Any surgical procedure that resulted in an inability to return to normal activities of daily living for 6 months or more (e.g. routine housework, previous employment and/or driving). It is the responsibility of the RN to decide the severity of an operation, i.e. minor or major. Consider the likelihood of malignancy, blood loss and/or received blood products, time required to fully heal, post-operative infection, follow-up treatment. Surgery may cause significant blood loss. It is important that donors waiting for an operation should not be put at risk of anaemia or poor iron stores by donating prior to planned surgery. This will minimize their own chance of needing a transfusion, which would prevent them from continuing as a donor. It is also important not to hinder the recovery of the donor and defer until they are fully recovered before they donate again. Donors that received a metal on metal hip replacement can be accepted when fully recovered, even if he/she is being monitored for blood chromium or cobalt levels

Directive 2004/33/EC has a legislative requirement that prospective donors with an exposure to risk of acquiring a transfusion-transmissible infection through major surgery are deferred for 6 months, or for 4 months provided a NAT test for hepatitis C is negative