Anaemia and low iron
3 in 10 people having elective surgery have low iron or anaemia and have high risk of needing blood transfusion.
Iron in your blood is used to make haemoglobin, which carries oxygen around your body to help your tissues breathe.
Low iron or haemoglobin levels can:
- delay your surgery
- increase your chance of a heart attack during or after surgery
- increase your chance of other surgical complications
- slow down your recovery
- increase your chance of blood transfusion.
Low haemoglobin is called anaemia.
Iron deficiency is the commonest cause of anaemia but it can also be caused by chronic disease, other dietary deficiency (folate, B12) or kidney disease. Your GP will be able to easily assess whether you have anaemia or iron deficiency with simple blood tests.
Specialist referral might be needed to sort out less common causes of anaemia.
Patient resources
- Download Fit for surgery factsheet National Blood Authority website
- Download Managing my iron factsheet National Bloody Authority website
- Download Oral iron choices for adults information Lifeblood website
- Download A guide to taking oral iron SA Health website
- Download Iron and iron deficiency factsheet SA Health website
GP resources
This page was last updated 29 January, 2025
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