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Therapeutic Apheresis ServicesTherapeutic apheresis (TA) is a general term describing a procedure in which blood is removed from a patient as a means of medical treatment. TA is generally performed to remove harmful substances from the blood or from a component of the blood. The blood withdrawal procedure is performed by placing a dual lumen (dialysis) catheter into the patient’s vein. The catheter is connected to a machine (which contains a centrifuge) that draws the blood out and then separates it into red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets and plasma, the liquid portion of blood. The healthy components of the blood are returned to the patient, while the unhealthy components are discarded.  The terms therapeutic apheresis, plasmapheresis and therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) are often used interchangeably, but actually denote different procedures, generally classified as either cell depletions (such as leukapheresis and plateletpheresis) or blood component exchanges (such as plasma exchange and red blood cell exchange). The same type of procedure can be used to collect Hematopoietic Progenitor Cells, or peripheral blood stem cells, for the purpose of transplantation in a variety of diseases. Benefits of Therapeutic ApheresisTherapeutic apheresis has been successfully used to treat many hematologic, neurologic, renal, rheumatic, and metabolic disorders. In most clinical situations, it is used to remove a pathogenic or toxic macromolecule, such as an antibody, an abnormal plasma protein, or other substance. The therapeutic objective is to reduce the circulating levels of these molecules to ameliorate the disease process.Therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) can also be performed to replace a substance that is normally present in plasma, whose absence is deleterious to the patient. Many diseases are successfully treated with a short series of procedures. Chronic regularly scheduled or intermittent procedures, as needed, may provide long-term control of other diseases, particularly if drug therapy is toxic or ineffective. Most Common UsesSome of the most common indications include:• Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (TTP) • Guillain-Barré Syndrome • Myasthenia Gravis • Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy (CIPD) • Sickle Cell Disease • Acute Leukemia • Many other diseases These are life threatening conditions in which emergency therapeutic apheresis (on the ready 24 hours a day) is the primary mode of acute treatment.: • Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (TTP) • Acute chest syndrome in sickle cell disease • Thrombocytosis • Hyperleukocytosis • Hyperviscosity Why Choose FBC?Florida’s Blood Centers (FBC) experienced and professional staff provides 24/7 consultation services for all therapeutic apheresis procedures right at your hospital location—we come to you! Plus, our Therapeutic Apheresis (TA) staff is specially trained and focuses primarily on TA and maintain all required state licenses and certifications.Our staff are backed by FBC staff physicians who are available for consultation at all times. FBC’s physicians are Board Certified in Transfusion Medicine/Blood Banking by the American Board of Pathology. |
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