What is the Difference Between Plasmapheresis and Plasma Exchange?

Plasmapheresis and plasma exchange are both medical procedures involving the separation and manipulation of blood plasma, but they have different purposes and methodologies.

Plasmapheresis is a procedure in which blood plasma is separated from the blood cells, either by centrifugation or membrane filtration. The plasma can then be manipulated in various ways, such as treating it and returning it to the body or replacing it with another solution like saline or albumin. Plasmapheresis is used to treat autoimmune disorders, such as hemophilia, by removing the plasma containing antibodies and replacing it with treated plasma or another solution.

Plasma Exchange, on the other hand, involves discarding the separated plasma entirely and substituting it with a replacement fluid, such as donor plasma or a colloid albumin. This procedure is used to treat certain blood, neurological, and autoimmune diseases, such as thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura, Guillain-Barré syndrome, multiple sclerosis, and others.

While both procedures involve separating plasma from blood, the main difference lies in what happens to the plasma afterward. In plasmapheresis, the plasma is manipulated and returned to the body, whereas in plasma exchange, the plasma is discarded and replaced with a substitute.

Comparative Table: Plasmapheresis vs Plasma Exchange

Plasmapheresis and plasma exchange are two types of apheresis, which is a medical technology that involves passing a person's blood through an apparatus to separate and remove specific components. Here is a table comparing the differences between plasmapheresis and plasma exchange:

In summary, the key difference between plasmapheresis and plasma exchange is that plasmapheresis involves separating and manipulating the plasma, while plasma exchange involves discarding the plasma and substituting it with a substitute.