Saturday September 22, 2007
Platelet-rich plasmapheresis

Platelet-rich plasmapheresis is technique used mostly in cardiac surgery that involves a patient's own blood. The platelet-rich plasma is withdrawn into a plasmapheresis device. This can be either performed pre-operatively (within 24 hours of surgery) or intra-operatively. The platelet rich plasma is returned to the patient at the end of the surgery (usually after protamine infusion). The transfusion of the patient with a highly concentrated and platelet-rich product derived from their own blood reduces the need for transfusion of blood. But is an expensive and time consuming technique and not widely used.


Related previous pearls: cryo reduced plasma




Reference: click to get abstract

1. Platelet-rich plasmapheresis in cardiac surgery: a meta-analysis of the effect on transfusion requirements - J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 1998 Oct;116(4):641-7

2. Platelet-rich-plasmapheresis for minimising peri-operative allogeneic blood transfusion. - Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2003;(2):CD004172.

3. Plateletpheresis Before Redo CABG Diminishes Excessive Blood Transfusion Ann Thorac Surg 1996;62:1373-1378