Plasmapheresis is a therapeutic intervention that involves extracorporeal removal, return, or exchange of blood plasma or components. It is a process in which the liquid part of the blood, or plasma, is separated from the blood cells. Plasma is one of four elements that make up blood, along with red and white blood cells and platelets. Plasmapheresis is the process healthcare providers use to obtain plasma from blood. The process involves using a machine to separate plasma from blood and then replacing the plasma with a plasma replacement fluid or donor plasma.
Plasmapheresis can be used to treat a variety of autoimmune disorders including myasthenia gravis, Guillain-Barre syndrome, chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy, and Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome. It can also be used to treat certain complications of sickle cell disease, as well as certain forms of neuropathy. During the therapy, small amounts of blood are gradually removed through an inserted needle or central line catheter and circulated through a machine that separates blood into red cells, white cells, platelets, and plasma. The plasma portion of the blood is removed and replaced by a plasma substitute and then added back to the patients blood. The procedure can last between one and three hours, and the frequency of treatment can vary widely from condition to condition.
