What is plasmapheresis used for?

Plasmapheresis is a procedure in which blood plasma is separated from the red blood cells and other blood components and removed from the body. The plasma can then be treated or exchanged and returned to the body.

Plasmapheresis is used to treat a variety of conditions including:

• Guillain-Barré syndrome: a nervous system disorder that causes muscle weakness and paralysis

• Myasthenia gravis: a neuromuscular disorder that causes muscle weakness

• Goodpasture's syndrome: a lung disease that causes bleeding in the lungs

• Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP): a blood disorder that causes low platelet count and blood clots

• Atypical HUS: a rare kidney disease

• Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP): a chronic and progressive disorder of the peripheral nerves

• Paraneoplastic syndromes: a group of disorders that occur when the body's immune system attacks its own tissue in response to the presence of cancer

• Poisoning and Overdose

Plasmapheresis may also be used in the following settings:

• Pre-transplant conditioning

• Autoimmune or antibody-mediated diseases

• Severe infections to remove antibodies against self antigens/cytokines