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What is Hemostasis?

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Hemostasis is the process of how the body prevents and stops bleeding from a cut or injury.

Bleeding happens when a blood vessel is broken. The injury can be small, like a minor scrape, or large, like a deep cut requiring stitches. When a blood vessel is injured, the body’s hemostatic system helps to stop the bleeding. This system is made up of:

  • Blood vessels
  • Tissues under the blood vessels
  • Cells that are in the blood, such as platelets, red blood cells and white blood cells
  • Proteins that help blood clot

The four parts of the hemostatic system work together to stop bleeding by:

  • Forming a clot that closes the hole in the blood vessel
  • Repairing the opening in the blood vessel
  • Fixing the blood vessel so it works like it did before the injury

When the hemostatic system does not prevent or stop the bleeding, it may indicate a disorder of hemostasis, also known as a bleeding disorder.