THE USE OF SOLVENT-DETERGENT (SD) technology is not new to transfusion medicine. In the early 1980s, the transmission of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) frequently occurred in hemophiliacs receiving untreated factor VIII concentrates.1,2 In 1985, SDtreated antihemophilic factor was introduced to reduce viral transmission.3-7 Currently, two thirds of antihemophilic factor in the United States is produced using SD technology.8 Since 1985, nearly 6 million units of SD-treated antihemophilic factor have been used in hemophiliacs without transmission of HIV, HBV, or hepatitis C virus (HCV).9-11 In an attempt to reduce viral transmission, the same SD technology has been applied to the manufacture of fresh frozen plasma (FFP). As SD-FFP becomes available through blood banks everywhere, the goal of this article is to explain to anesthesiologists what SD-FFP is and how it differs from standard FFP. This review describes SD technology, including the benefits, safety, risks, indications, limitations, and cost-effectiveness of this newly available blood product.