Plasmapheresis is a method used by medical professionals to obtain plasma from blood. It’s a method doctors use to replace plasma. This process involves using a machine to separate the plasma from the blood and then return the blood to the patient receiving treatment.
What is Plasmapheresis and Plasma Exchange?
Plasma is one of the four elements that kind up blood, along with red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. Plasma is composed primarily of water, which contains electrolytes (dissolved salts) and proteins. Some plasma proteins protect us from foreign substances, such as cancer cells, viruses, fungi, and bacteria. Other proteins help control bleeding.
Plasmapheresis is a technique used by healthcare professionals to obtain plasma from blood. Doctors often perform plasmapheresis to obtain donor plasma, which is plasma from healthy people that doctors use to treat certain diseases.
Plasmapheresis is a technique in which doctors use plasmapheresis to replace plasma. This is done by removing blood and separating it from the blood using a machine. The plasma is then substituted with a liquid, the replacement liquid is added to the blood, and the blood is repaid to the patient being treated.
What conditions are treated with plasmapheresis or plasma exchange?
Healthcare professionals use this technique to treat various blood disorders, neurological diseases, and blood cancers. Plasmapheresis can be used as a first-line or initial therapy, or in combination with other treatments. It can also be used to support recovery after an organ transplant.
How do healthcare professionals use this technique to treat neurological conditions?
Healthcare professionals may use plasmapheresis to remove harmful antibodies from blood plasma. These conditions include:
- Multiple sclerosis (MS): People with MS use plasmapheresis to relieve sudden, severe symptoms caused by plasma proteins attacking their bodies.
- Myasthenia gravis: Myasthenia gravis occurs when antibodies that should attack foreign cells begin to attack healthy tissue instead. Plasmapheresis filters out abnormal antibodies.
- Guillain-Barré syndrome: This condition occurs when the immune system attacks the nerves. Plasmapheresis filters out plasma antibodies that attack the immune system.
- How do doctors use this process to treat blood disorders? Doctors treat the following blood disorders with plasmapheresis:
- Cryoglobulinemia: This condition occurs when proteins called cryoglobulins clump together in the blood, clogging arteries and causing inflammation and organ damage. Doctors use plasmapheresis to remove cryoglobulins that would otherwise clog arteries.
Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura: People with this condition experience blood clots in small arteries throughout the body. Doctors can use plasmapheresis to remove abnormal plasma from the blood. They can also use donor plasma without drawing blood.
What types of cancer are treated with plasmapheresis and plasma exchange?
Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia (lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma): This is a blood cancer that occurs when lymphoid cells in the bone marrow or lymph nodes produce abnormal amounts of immunoglobulin M. Doctors use plasmapheresis to filter antibodies from plasma. Several myeloma: This is a blood cancer that occurs when the bone core produces abnormal plasma cells that become cancerous and multiply. Doctors use plasmapheresis to remove the abnormal plasma cells.
Treatment Details
What happens before plasmapheresis and plasma exchange?
If you are undergoing plasmapheresis, your doctor may recommend the following:
- Drink non-carbonated beverages starting 72 hours before the procedure.
- Be sure to eat approximately one hour before the procedure.
- Wear comfortable clothing and bring something to read or listen to during the procedure.
- Arrange for somebody to drive you home after the procedure.
What Happens during Plasmapheresis and Plasma Exchange?
In plasmapheresis, healthcare providers collect blood and use a machine to separate the red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, and plasma, so that each component of the donated blood can be used to treat specific conditions.
Plasmapheresis involves several additional steps:
- Doctors insert a needle or intravenous line into your arm or central line.
- They gradually remove a small amount of blood.
- They use a machine to separate the plasma from the blood.
- They extract the plasma.
- They mix the blood with a liquid, sometimes adding a protein called albumin, and return it to the patient through an intravenous line or central line.
How long does plasmapheresis last?
Plasmapheresis can last several hours.
Is plasmapheresis painful?
No, it is not painful, but you may feel some discomfort when the healthcare provider places the intravenous lines in your arms.
Some people also experience the following symptoms:
- Slight numbness or tingling.
- Nausea.
- Dizziness.
- Feeling cold.
What happens after plasmapheresis?
Most people feel very tired after the procedure. Plasma acts as a source of hydration for the body. Your healthcare provider may commend that you drink more fluids than usual after the procedure.
Risks/Benefits
What are the benefits of plasmapheresis?
Plasmapheresis is a safe and effective way to treat various neurological and blood disorders and relieve symptoms. It also helps patients who have undergone organ transplants.
What are the risks or complications of this procedure?
Plasmapheresis is a very safe procedure, but some people experience the following complications during or after the procedure:
- Hypocalcemia or hypomagnesemia: This condition occurs when the calcium level in the blood decreases. Plasmapheresis can cause calcium excretion. Doctors treat this side effect by administering calcium intravenously.
- Hypothermia: This is a low body temperature. Doctors can treat this side effect by administering warm fluids through an intravenous catheter. Hypotension: This is low blood pressure. Doctors can treat it with blood transfusions, fluids, or plasma.
Recovery and Outlook
What is the recovery time?
Most people recover from plasmapheresis within a few hours.
How long will it take to feel better after the procedure?
This depends on the reason for the plasmapheresis procedure. For example, people with myasthenia gravis may be given plasmapheresis to relieve symptoms such as weakness. They may undergo several treatments over several weeks and feel better for several months before needing further treatment.
Additional Information
Is plasmapheresis the same as dialysis?
Dialysis, plasmapheresis, and plasma exchange all work on the same principle: to filter harmful substances from the blood. People undergo dialysis because their kidneys are unable to remove waste from the blood. This waste builds up in the bloodstream. In dialysis, doctors use a machine to remove blood from the body, clean it, and reconstitute it.
Summary
Healthcare professionals have used plasmapheresis and plasma exchange for decades. The medical practice of removing abnormal blood, including plasma, has been used for centuries. Plasmapheresis is part of a comprehensive treatment for situations such as blood disorders, blood cancers, and neurological diseases. Plasmapheresis does not cure these conditions. However, it can relieve symptoms that may affect your quality of life. If you have a condition for which plasmapheresis could be beneficial, consult your doctor for more information.