- Apheresis
- The process of removing a specific component from blood and returning the remaining components to the donor, in order to collect more of one particular part of the blood than could be separated from a unit of whole blood. Also called hemapheresis or pheresis. The forms of apheresis include: {{}}Plasmapheresis — to harvest plasma (the liquid part of the blood) Leukapheresis — to harvest leukocytes (white blood cells) Granulocytapheresis — to harvest granulocytes (neutrophils, eosinophils, and basophil) Lymphocytapheresis — to harvest lymphocytes Lymphoplasmapheresis - to harvest lymphocytes and plasma Plateletpheresis (thrombocytapheresis) - to harvest platelets (thrombocytes) Apheresis takes longer than a whole blood donation. A whole blood donation takes about 10-20 minutes to collect the blood, while an apheresis donation may take about 1-2 hours.
* * *Infusion of a patient's own blood from which certain cellular or fluid elements (plasma, leukocytes, platelets, etc.) have been removed. [G. aphairesis, withdrawal]
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aphe·re·sis .a-fə-'rē-səs n, pl -re·ses -.sēz withdrawal of blood from a donor's body, removal of one or more components (as plasma, blood platelets, or white blood cells) from the blood, and transfusion of the remaining blood back into the donor called also pheresis see plateletpheresis compare plasmapheresis* * *
aph·e·re·sis (af-ə-reґsis) [Gr. aphairesis removal] any procedure in which blood is withdrawn from a donor, a fluid or solid portion (plasma, leukocytes, platelets, etc.) is separated and retained, and the remainder is retransfused into the donor. Types include erythrocytapheresis, leukapheresis, lymphocytapheresis, plasmapheresis, and plateletpheresis. Called also hemapheresis and pheresis.
Medical dictionary. 2011.