Prior to Procedure

Leading up to your procedure:

• Review your regular medications with your doctor. You may be asked to stop taking some medications up to 1 week before the procedure.
• Arrange to have someone drive you home from the hospital.
• Drink plenty of non-caffeinated and non-alcoholic beverages.

The day of your treatment:

• Eat a well-balanced meal before going for treatment, unless instructed otherwise by your doctor.
• Wear comfortable clothing with sleeves that can easily be pulled above the elbows.

Anesthesia

Anesthesia is not needed for this procedure.

Description of the Procedure

You will be asked to lie in a bed or sit in a reclining chair. Two needles attached to a catheter tube will be inserted into veins. In some cases, a needle will be inserted into each arm. For others, 1 needle may be inserted into your arm and the other into the opposite foot. If the veins in your limbs are too small to use, a long-duration catheter will be inserted. It will be placed in a vein in your shoulder or groin area.

Blood will be taken out of your body through one of the catheter tubes. It will then go into the apheresis machine. Once in the machine, the blood cells will be separated from the plasma. The machine works in one of two ways. In the first method, the blood cells may be separated from the plasma by spinning the blood at high speeds. The second method uses a special membrane. The membrane has tiny pores that only the plasma can pass through, leaving the blood cells behind. The blood cells will be mixed with replacement plasma or a plasma substitute. The new mixed blood will then be returned to your body through the other tube.

Immediately After Procedure

You will be asked to rest for a short period of time.

How Long Will It Take?

• A single plasmapheresis treatment can take 1 to 3 hours.
• The length of treatment will depend on your body size and the amount of plasma that needs to be exchanged.
• You will most likely need to have several treatment sessions per week for 2 weeks or more.
• The frequency of your treatments will depend on your diagnosis.

How Much Will It Hurt?

You may experience some discomfort when the needles are inserted. The procedure itself is painless.

Average Hospital Stay

• The procedure is usually done outside of the hospital. In such cases, you will be allowed to leave after a short resting period.
• In some instances, hospitalization is required. Length of stay will depend on your diagnosis.

Post-procedure Care

When you return home, be sure to follow your doctor’s instructions.

Improvement can occur within days or weeks, depending on the condition being treated. Benefits usually last for up to several months, but may last longer. Over time, autoantibodies may again be produced by your body. Because of this, plasmapheresis is mainly used as a temporary treatment.