Laser treatment - Whole Blood and Components

Essential information

Obligatory

Must not donate if:

1. For malignancy.
2. Any wounds are not healed.

Discretionary

1. If for basal cell carcinoma (a type of malignancy), treatment is completed and fully recovered, accept.
2. If for Cervical Carcinoma in Situ, treatment is completed and a follow up smear did not show abnormal cells, accept.
3. If for cosmetic purposes, when healed, accept.
4. If for varicose veins, when healed, accept.
5. If laser treatment to the eye, when healed, accept.

Supporting information

See if relevant

• Cervical dysplasia
• Diabetes mellitus
• Eye disease
• Malignancy
• Surgery
• Wounds, mouth and skin ulcers

Additional information

Medical lasers can be used in many different situations. Their action is through heating and burning. The concern is when they are used for treating malignancies and when they leave areas of tissue damaged and susceptible to infection. Provided the reason that the laser was used is not of itself a reason to defer the donor, once all wounds are healed, so that there is no further infection risk, the donor may be accepted.

If used for diabetic retinopathy it is likely that the donor will need to be deferred and reference should be made to Diabetes mellitus.

Reason for change:

The need for all wounds to be healed has been added under 'Obligatory'. Laser eye treatment has been added under 'Discretionary'. Additional links have been added under 'See if Relevant' together with 'Additional Information'.

Version details:

WB-DSG Edition 203 Release 01 (01 June 2010)