What is apheresis?
Apheresis, an increasingly common procedure, is the process of removing a specific component of the blood, such as platelets, and returning the remaining components, such as red blood cells and plasma, to the donor. This process allows more of one particular part of the blood to be collected than could be separated from a unit of whole blood. Apheresis is also performed to collect red blood cells, plasma (liquid part of the blood), and granulocytes (white blood cells).
The word apheresis is derived from the Greek work Aphaerisis meaning to take away. Apheresis, an increasingly common procedure, is the process of removing a specific component of the blood, such as platelets, and returning the remaining components, such as red blood cells and plasma, to the donor. This process allows more of one particular part of the blood to be collected than could be separated from a unit of whole blood. Apheresis is also performed to collect red blood cells, plasma (liquid part of the blood), and granulocytes (white blood cells). The apheresis donation procedure takes longer than that for whole blood donation. A whole blood donation takes about 1015 minutes to collect the blood, while an apheresis donation may take about one to two hours.
Apheresis is the process of removing a specific component of the blood, such as platelets or plasma, and returning the remaining components (red blood cells and plasma or platelets respectively) to the donor. This process allows more of one particular part of the blood to be collected than could be separated from a unit of whole blood. For example, the amount of platelets collected in one apheresis donation is six to ten times more than in a regular blood donation. Platelet apheresis donations also allow donors to give a lot more often if desired. Platelet donors only need to wait three days before they are eligible to donate again, versus 56 days for whole blood donors.
Aphersis is the process of removing a specific component of the blood, such as platelets or plasma, and returning the remaining components (red blood cells and plasma or platelets respectively) to the donor. This process allows more of one particular part of the blood to be collected than could be separated from a unit of whole blood. For example, the amount of platelets collected in one apheresis donation is five to eight times more than in a regular blood donation. Platelet apheresis donations also allow donors to give a lot more often if desired. Platelet donors only need to wait 3 days before they are eligible to donate again, versus 56 days for whole blood donors.
