SUCCESSFUL USE OF SUBCUTANEOUS RECOMBINANT-HUMAN-ERYTHROPOIETIN BEFORE CHOLECYSTECTOMY IN AN ANEMIC PATIENT WITH RELIGIOUS OBJECTIONS TO TRANSFUSION THERAPY

Use of recombinant human erythropoietin has been advocated for therapy in anemic patients with end-stage renal disease and to enhance the harvesting of autologous red blood cells from healthy patients scheduled for elective orthopedic surgery. The authors report the case of a diabetic patient with moderate chronic renal failure and cholelithiasis but whose religious beliefs forbade the use of transfusion therapy. She underwent successful cholecystectomy only after treatment with recombinant human erythropoietin.