ObjectiveTo critically examine blood transfusion practice at the time of hysterectomy. Study Design: The authors compared the medical records of patients who had and had not signed a waiver of the use of blood products while undergoing hysterectomy.ResultsThe study group consisted of 93 women (predominantly Jehovah's Witness). There were 186 women in the control group. There was no difference in the study and control patients' ages, preoperative hemoglobin, duration of surgery, operative blood loss, length of hospital stay, or postoperative complications. Hysterectomies were done for abnormal bleeding in 59.1% of the study patients versus 43.4% of the controls(P= 0.01). No study patient received blood, but 10 control patients were transfused(P= 0.03).ConclusionBlood transfusion has been overused at the time of nonradical hysterectomy.