What does Apheresis involve?
Blood is removed from a vein and mixed with a substance to stop the blood clotting while outside the body. In most cases the substance used is citrate. This binds calcium, which is essential for clotting of blood. The blood is then processed by the apheresis machine to separate the various components, allowing the unwanted component to be discarded and the remaining components to be returned to the patient. This requires 1-2 needles to be inserted into the veins, usually one in each arm. In some patients with small veins it may be necessary to insert a special catheter into the large veins under the collarbone or in other parts of the body to allow adequate blood flow for the procedure. If insertion of a special catheter is required, separate information about this procedure will be given and separate consent will be obtained.
