Preoperative Anemia Correction in Cardiac Surgery: A Propensity-Matched Study

•Question: Does preoperative correction of anemia decrease allogeneic blood transfusion rate?•Findings: A tailored treatment with ferric carboxymaltose and/or erythropoietin decreased red blood cell transfusion rate by 20%•Meaning: Preoperative anemia should be corrected with tailored treatment, based on the nature of anemia, to limit the need for allogeneic blood transfusion.Objective: Preoperative anemia is a risk factor for transfusions, morbidity, and mortality in cardiac surgery. The aim of this study was to assess if an anemia intervention strategy before cardiac surgery is associated with reduced red blood cell (RBC) transfusion.