RBC Stroma Surgery Does Not Exist as a Surgical Procedure
There is no recognized surgical procedure called "RBC stroma surgery" in medical practice. This term does not appear in any surgical, hematologic, or transfusion medicine literature.
What You May Be Asking About
If Referring to Corneal Stromal Surgery
The term "stroma" in surgery most commonly refers to corneal stroma, not red blood cell stroma. Several established corneal stromal procedures exist:
- Deep Anterior Lamellar Keratoplasty (DALK): Removes all or nearly all corneal stroma for visual rehabilitation, preserving the patient's Descemet's membrane and endothelium 1
- Anterior Lamellar Keratectomy (ALK): Removes visually significant anterior stromal opacities using microblade, excimer laser, or femtosecond laser 1
- Phototherapeutic Keratectomy (PTK): Ablates preprogrammed depth of superficial and anterior stromal lesions 1
These procedures achieve graft survival rates of 93.9% at 5 years for DALK versus 80.4% for full-thickness penetrating keratoplasty 1.
If Referring to Red Blood Cell Transfusion in Surgery
Red blood cells are transfused as a therapeutic procedure, not surgically manipulated. Current transfusion guidelines recommend:
- Restrictive threshold of 8 g/dL hemoglobin is safe for most surgical patients, including brain tumor surgery 1
- Threshold of 10 g/dL may be indicated in patients with hemodynamic challenges during surgical resection 1
- Do not transfuse based solely on laboratory values without considering clinical patient variables 1
- Transfuse immediately for hemorrhagic shock regardless of hemoglobin level 2
The American Association of Blood Banks recommends following standard restrictive transfusion thresholds rather than liberal transfusion practices, as restrictive approaches reduce morbidity without compromising outcomes 2.
Common Pitfall to Avoid
Do not confuse RBC stroma (the internal protein scaffold of red blood cells) with corneal stroma (the middle layer of the cornea). These are completely different anatomical structures requiring entirely different medical interventions 1.