Bilateral total knee replacement with tourniquets in a homozygous sickle cell patient.

Abstract

A 27-yr-old male patient, with homozygous sickle cell disease was scheduled for bilateral total knee replacement under tourniquet. The use of tourniquet in sickle cell patients is not without hazard. After preoperative exchange transfusion, total knee replacement was performed. The patient tolerated the procedure well. Patients with sickle cell disease should not be denied the benefit of a tourniquet if hematological correction has been undertaken. The use of a tourniquet in patients with sickle cell is controversial. The author describes a case of bilateral total knee replacement performed using a tourniquet in a patient with sickle cell disease.