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This may be a bit lengthy but it is right out of their literature. Hope it helps!!

*** w89 3/1 30-1 Questions From Readers ***
Do Jehovah’s Witnesses allow the use of autologous blood (autotransfusion), such as by having their own blood stored and later put back into them?
Medical personnel often distinguish between homologous blood (coming from another person) and autologous blood (the patient’s own blood). It is well known that Jehovah’s Witnesses do not accept blood from other humans. But what about using autologous blood, a term used regarding a number of procedures?
Some of those procedures are unacceptable to Christians because of being clearly in conflict with the Bible, but others lead to questions. Of course, at the time the Bible was written, transfusions and other such medical uses of blood were unknown. Yet, God provided directions that enable his servants to decide whether certain medical procedures involving blood might displease him.
God’s determination is that blood represents life and thus is sacred. He commanded that no human should sustain his life by taking in blood. For instance, God stated: “Every moving animal that is alive may serve as food for you. . . . Only flesh with its soul-its blood-you must not eat.” (Genesis 9:3, 4; Leviticus 7:26, 27) According to the Life-Giver, the only acceptable use of blood was in sacrifice: “For the soul of the flesh is in the blood, and I myself have put it upon the altar for you to make atonement for your souls, because it is the blood that makes atonement by the soul in it. That is why I have said to the sons of Israel: ‘No soul of you must eat blood.’”-Leviticus 17:11, 12.
Though Christians are not under the Mosaic Law, the Bible says that it is “necessary” for us to ‘abstain from blood,’ viewing it as sacred. (Acts 15:28, 29) This is understandable, for the sacrifices under the Law foreshadowed Christ’s blood, God’s means by which we can gain everlasting life.-Hebrews 9:11-15, 22.
How was blood to be dealt with under the Law if it was not used in sacrifice? We read that when a hunter killed an animal for food, “he must in that case pour its blood out and cover it with dust.” (Leviticus 17:13, 14; Deuteronomy 12:22-24) So the blood was not to be used for nutrition or otherwise. If taken from a creature and not used in sacrifice, it was to be disposed of on the earth, God’s footstool.-Isaiah 66:1; compare Ezekiel 24:7, 8.
This clearly rules out one common use of autologous blood-preoperative collection, storage, and later infusion of a patient’s own blood. In such procedure, this is what is done: Prior to elective surgery, some units of a person’s whole blood are banked or the red cells are separated, frozen, and stored. Then if it seems that the patient needs blood during or following surgery, his own stored blood can be returned to him. Current anxieties about blood-borne diseases have made this use of autologous blood popular. Jehovah’s Witnesses, though, DO NOT accept this procedure. We have long appreciated that such stored blood certainly is no longer part of the person. It has been completely removed from him, so it should be disposed of in line with God’s Law: “You should pour it out upon the ground as water.”-Deuteronomy 12:24.
In a somewhat different process, autologous blood can be diverted from a patient to a hemodialysis device (artificial kidney) or a heart-lung pump. The blood flows out through a tube to the artificial organ that pumps and filters (or oxygenates) it, and then it returns to the patient’s circulatory system. Some Christians have permitted this if the equipment is not primed with stored blood. They have viewed the external tubing as elongating their circulatory system so that blood might pass through an artificial organ. They have felt that the blood in this closed circuit was still part of them and did not need to be ‘poured out.’
What, though, if the flow of such autologous blood stopped briefly, such as if a heart-lung machine is shut down while the surgeon checks the integrity of coronary-bypass grafts?
Actually, the Biblical emphasis is not on the issue of continuous flow. Even aside from surgery, a person’s heart might stop briefly and then resume. His circulatory system would not have to be emptied and his blood disposed of just because blood flow had stopped during the cardiac arrest. Hence, a Christian having to decide whether to permit his blood to be diverted through some external device ought to focus, not primarily on whether a brief interruption in flow might occur, but on whether he conscientiously felt that the diverted blood would still be part of his circulatory system.-Galatians 6:5.
What about induced hemodilution? Some surgeons believe that it is advantageous for a patient’s blood to be diluted during surgery. Thus, at the start of an operation, they direct some blood to storage bags outside a patient’s body and replace such with nonblood fluids; later, the blood is allowed to flow from the bags back to the patient. Since Christians do not let their blood be stored, some physicians have adapted this procedure, arranging the equipment in a circuit that is constantly linked to the patient’s circulatory system. Some Christians have accepted this, others have refused. Again, each individual must decide whether he would consider the blood diverted in such a hemodilution circuit to be similar to that flowing through a heart/lung machine, or he would think of it as blood that left him and therefore should be disposed of.
A final example of autologous blood use involves recovering and reusing blood during surgery. Equipment is used to aspirate blood from the wound, pump it out through a filter (to remove clots or debris) or a centrifuge (to eliminate fluids), and then direct it back into the patient. Many Christians have been very concerned whether in such salvage there might be any brief interruption of blood flow. Yet, as mentioned, a more Biblical concern is whether the blood escaping into a surgical wound is still part of the person. Does the fact that the blood has flowed from his circulatory system into the wound mean that it should be ‘poured out,’ like the blood mentioned at Leviticus 17:13? If an individual believes so, he would probably refuse to permit such blood salvage. Yet, another Christian (who also would not let blood flow from him, be stored for some time, and later be put back into him) might conclude that a circuit with recovery from a surgical site and ongoing reinfusion would not violate his trained conscience.
As we can see, there is a growing variety of equipment or techniques involving autologous blood. We cannot and should not try to comment on each variation. When faced with a question in this area, each Christian is responsible to obtain details from medical personnel and then make a personal decision.
Though much has been said here about medical aspects, what is of greatest importance are the religious issues. As a Christian resolves any doubts or questions about medical processes involving blood, what should predominate should be that he displays faith, that he respects God’s command to ‘abstain from blood,’ and that he maintains a good conscience. Why? Because the most fundamental way in which lives can be saved with blood is not through medical technology but through the saving power of Christ’s blood. The apostle Paul wrote: “By means of him we have the release by ransom through the blood of that one.” (Ephesians 1:7; Revelation 7:14, 17) While modern medicine might be able to help us extend our lives for a time, we certainly would not want to extend our present life by doing anything that would violate our Christian conscience or would displease our Life-Giver.-Matthew 16:25; 1 Timothy 1:18, 19.
[Footnotes]
*** w90 6/1 30-1 Questions From Readers ***
Do Jehovah’s Witnesses accept injections of a blood fraction, such as immune globulin or albumin?
Some do, believing that the Scriptures do not clearly rule out accepting an injection of a small fraction, or component, taken from blood.
The Creator first laid upon all mankind the obligation to avoid taking in blood: “Every moving animal that is alive may serve as food for you . . . Only flesh with its soul-its blood-you must not eat.” (Genesis 9:3, 4) Blood was sacred and so could be used only in sacrifice. If not used in that way, it was to be disposed of on the ground.-Leviticus 17:13, 14; Deuteronomy 12:15, 16.
This was no mere temporary restriction for Jews. The need to abstain from blood was restated for Christians. (Acts 21:25) Around them in the Roman Empire, God’s law was commonly broken, since people ate food made with blood. It was also broken for “medical” reasons; Tertullian reports that some men took in blood thinking that it could cure epilepsy. ‘They quaffed with greedy thirst the blood of criminals slain in the arena.’ He added: “Blush for your vile ways before the Christians, who have not even the blood of animals at their meals.” Jehovah’s Witnesses today are just as determined not to violate God’s law, no matter how common it is for others to eat food made with blood. In the 1940’s, blood transfusions came into widespread use, and the Witnesses saw that obeying God required that they also avoid blood transfusions, even if doctors urged these.
At first, most transfusions were of whole blood. Later, researchers began to separate blood into its primary components, for doctors concluded that a certain patient might not need all major parts of blood. If they gave him only one component, it would be less risky for him, and the doctors could get more use out of the blood available.
Human blood can be separated into dark cellular material and a yellowish fluid (plasma, or serum). The cellular part (45 percent by volume) is made up of what are commonly called red cells, white cells, and platelets. The other 55 percent is the plasma. This is 90 percent water, but it carries small amounts of many proteins, hormones, salts, and enzymes. Today, much of the donated blood is separated into the primary components. One patient may be given a transfusion of plasma (perhaps FFP, fresh frozen plasma) to treat shock. But an anemic patient might be given packed red cells, that is, red cells that had been stored and then put in a fluid and transfused. Platelets and white cells are also transfused but less commonly.
In Bible times men had not devised such techniques for using these components. God simply commanded: ‘Abstain from blood.’ (Acts 15:28, 29) But why should anyone think that it would make a difference whether the blood was whole or had been separated into these components? Though some men drank blood, Christians refused even if it meant death. Do you think that they would have responded differently if someone had collected blood, allowed it to separate, and then offered them just the plasma or just the clotted part, perhaps in blood sausage? No, indeed! Hence, Jehovah’s Witnesses do not accept transfusions of whole blood or of its primary components (red cells, white cells, platelets, or plasma) used to accomplish a similar purpose.
As the question suggests, though, scientists have learned about specialized blood fractions and how to employ such. A common issue involves the plasma proteins-globulins, albumin, and fibrinogen. Likely, the most widespread therapeutic use of such is injecting immune globulin. Why is that done?
Your body can produce antibodies against certain diseases, giving you active immunity. This is the basis for advance inoculation with a vaccine (toxoid) against polio, mumps, rubella (measles), diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis, and typhoid fever. However, if someone has recently been exposed to certain serious diseases, physicians may recommend an injection of a serum (antitoxin) to give him immediate passive immunity. Until recently such injections have been made by extracting immune globulin, which contains antibodies, from a person already immune. The passive immunity gained from the injection is not permanent, for the injected antibodies pass out of his system in time.
In view of the command to ‘abstain from blood,’ some Christians have felt that they should not accept an immune globulin (protein) injection, even though it was only a blood fraction. Their stand is clear and simple-no blood component in any form or amount.
Others have felt that a serum (antitoxin), such as immune globulin, containing only a tiny fraction of a donor’s blood plasma and used to bolster their defense against disease, is not the same as a life-sustaining blood transfusion. So their consciences may not forbid them to take immune globulin or similar fractions. They may conclude that for them the decision will rest primarily on whether they are willing to accept any health risks involved in an injection made from others’ blood.
It is significant that the blood system of a pregnant woman is separate from that of the fetus in her womb; their blood types are often different. The mother does not pass her blood into the fetus. Formed elements (cells) from the mother’s blood do not cross the placental barrier into the fetus’ blood, nor does the plasma as such. In fact, if by some injury the mother’s and the fetus’ blood mingle, health problems can later develop (Rh or ABO incompatibility). However, some substances from the plasma cross into the fetus’ circulation. Do plasma proteins, such as immune globulin and albumin? Yes, some do.
A pregnant woman has an active mechanism by which some immune globulin moves from the mother’s blood to the fetus’. Because this natural movement of antibodies into the fetus occurs in all pregnancies, babies are born with a degree of normal protective immunity to certain infections.
It is similar with albumin, which doctors may prescribe as a treatment for shock or certain other conditions. Researchers have proved that albumin from the plasma is also transported, though less efficiently, across the placenta from a mother into her fetus.
That some protein fractions from the plasma do move naturally into the blood system of another individual (the fetus) may be another consideration when a Christian is deciding whether he will accept immune globulin, albumin, or similar injections of plasma fractions. One person may feel that he in good conscience can; another may conclude that he cannot. Each must resolve the matter personally before God.
[Footnotes]
With recombinant DNA, or genetic-engineering, techniques, scientists are developing similar products that are not made from blood.
One example is Rh immune globulin, which doctors may recommend when there is Rh incompatibility between a woman and her fetus. Another is Factor VIII, which is given to hemophiliacs.
Evidence shows that nonblood volume replacement fluids (such as hetastarch [HES]) can be used effectively to treat shock and other conditions for which an albumin solution might have been used previously.

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