This piece focuses on the Preoperative Intravenous Iron To Treat Anaemia in major surgery (PREVENTT) trial; a randomized double-blind controlled phase III study to compare the efficacy and safety of intravenous ferric carboxymaltose with placebo in patients with anaemia undergoing major open abdominal surgery.

The main question is if we properly mobilize our patients, feed them and correct their anemia, do they do better? How can we get a patient fitter for surgery? Can we correct anemia before surgery? "We took people prior to major open abdominal surgery [...] and our question was, in two weeks prior to surgery, if we give them intravenous iron and treat the anemia, at operation do they receive less blood transfusion and post operatively recover without as many complications?".

Also, Are you a woman and anemic? Should you be taking iron supplements? Could you do with a dose of I.V. iron?

The Iron Clinic is here: https://www.theironclinic.com/

The PREVENTT website is here: https://preventt.lshtm.ac.uk/

Our guest also featured in the press where they dubbed him "Iron Man": https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-3932602/Hugely-popular-Australia-s-just-come-menopausal-women-benefit-iron-drip-stop-feeling-tired-time.html

Presented by Desiree Chappell with Monty Mythen and their guest Toby Richards, Professor, Anaesthesia Teaching & Research Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences Central Clinical School, Monash University.