Storing autologous blood as whole blood (WB) has been proposed for increasing the cost-effectiveness of preoperative autologous blood donation programmes. However, experimental data suggest that autologous leucocytes might lead to immunomodulation similar to the effect attributed to allogeneic leucocytes. In a retrospective analysis, the postoperative outcome of 120 patients undergoing elective orthopaedic surgery and having donated up to two units of autologous WB (AWB) was compared with that of a control group of 52 patients, whose autologous donation had been processed into buffy coat-depleted red cell concentrates (RCC). At least one autologous unit, but no allogeneic units, had been transfused in all analysed patients. Donation schemes were equally efficacious in both groups. There was no significant difference in postoperative infection rates between the two groups. Overall rates were 7.7% in the RCC group and 8.3% in the WB group. Surgical, thromboembolic and other recorded complications, length of postoperative hospital stay and days of the use of antibiotics were also not significantly different between the two groups. The results of this study suggest that transfusion of up to two units of unmodified AWB is as efficacious as the transfusion of autologous RCC and does not negatively influence the postoperative outcome in elective orthopaedic surgery.