Liver transplantation in Jehovah's witness patients in Australasia

Until recently, liver transplantation was contraindicated in Jehovah's Witness patients because of recipient-Imposed restrictions on use of blood products. However, recent improvements in surgical and anaesthetic techniques and new procoagulant agents challenge this practice. We describe two Jehovah's Witness patients who had successful liver transplantation without blood transfusion. To our knowledge, these are the first such cases in Australasia. The techniques used to minimise blood loss and transfusion requirements could potentially benefit all patients undergoing major surgery.