Plasmapheresis is a procedure that is designed to purify blood. There are many diseases that require the use of this method, and increasingly in medical practice, there are cases when it really helped get rid of the disease.
But plasmapheresis, being a rather complicated procedure, has not only indications, but also contraindications. Before learning about them, let's look at the types of plasmapheresis.
Types of plasmapheresis
Initially, plasmapheresis is divided into treatment and donor. The difference between them is that with the healing method, the human blood after treatment is returned, and thus other people's blood is not used. When donor plasmapheresis involves the blood of another person.
According to the organization and methods of blood processing, plasmapheresis is also divided into groups:
- Centrifugal (additional names - gravitational, discrete, intermittent) - in this case centrifuges participate in the technique of conducting.
- Filtration - the blood is purified using special filters.
- Membrane plasmapheresis - membranes are used that separate the plasma collection chambers and the blood chamber; one of the most popular methods to date.
- Cascade plasmapheresis has been used since 1980, and its special feature is the filtration of blood with the help of a microporous filter, which retards large-molecule proteins and transmits low-molecular proteins.
Indications for cleansing blood with plasmapheresis
First and foremost, plasmapheresis is used to purify the blood of toxins, and starting from this, it is not difficult to guess at what diseases it is relevant.
Especially interesting are cases of the practice of treating plasmapheresis with atypical allergic reactions, which can be of an autoimmune nature. In many cases, it is prescribed when allergy can not be eliminated by classical methods - diet and medication. But, unfortunately, it is not always an effective way to treat autoimmune diseases.
There is an opinion that in autoimmune processes plasmapheresis produces a visible effect at first, but then the disease activates with renewed vigor.
It can be assumed that in the dermatological region plasmapheresis is used most often. Of the common reasons, plasmapheresis is prescribed for psoriasis, furunculosis and eczema. Of these 4 pathologies, the most persistent positive effect is observed in patients with furunculosis.
In gastroenterology, plasmapheresis is used in diseases that lead to the contamination of the body with toxins - cholecystitis , pancreatitis, hepatitis. Some believe that plasmapheresis renews the entire body, and especially the immune system.
In endocrinology, plasmapheresis is used in cases of thyroid disease, in particular, with thyrotoxicosis in remission, as well as with diabetes mellitus.
Another autoimmune disease that is treated with this method is multiple sclerosis. Plasmapheresis in multiple sclerosis does not necessarily lead to relief, but it is likely that it will slow the progression of the disease.
To activate the reserve forces in the body, sometimes resort to plasmapheresis in the syndrome of chronic fatigue , but before such a serious intervention in the body it is worth trying traditional methods of treatment.
Also plasmapheresis helps to eliminate multiple chronic infectious diseases.
Contraindications to cleansing blood with plasmapheresis
Before you make plasmapheresis, make sure that none of the following items are suitable for you:
- Iron-deficiency anemia;
- edematous syndrome;
- oncological diseases;
- severe liver damage;
- acute phase of vegetative-vascular disease;
- a peptic ulcer.