Therapeutic Apheresis
North Shore Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Centre is proud to present Therapeutic Apheresis for your pet!
- Therapeutic Apheresis is a breakthrough in the fight against serious autoimmune diseases.
- It removes pathologic substances and is the FIRST LINE treatment for severe IMHA (Immune Mediated Haemolytic Anaemia)
Veterinary Excellence
What is Therapeutic Apheresis?
Therapeutic Apheresis is a process of selectively removing blood components (plasma, RBCs, WBCs, and platelets) from continuously flowing blood by centrifugation.
Therapeutic Plasma Exchange (TPE) is the procedure to remove pathologic substances (generally pathologic antibodies and exogenous toxins) from patients with immune-mediated or autoimmune diseases, drug overdosage or poisoning.
Plasma Adsorption selectively removes exogenous poisons, drugs, or endogenous substances (cytokines, cholesterol) which are not removable by haemodialysis.
Leukapheresis selectively removes abnormal RBCs and malignant leukocytes. Alternatively, healthy components of the buffy coat (platelets, lymphocytes, stem cells, granulocytes) are harvested for selective processing and re-infused for immunotherapy or transplantation.
Your pet's aperesis procedure
WHAT TO EXPECT: A qualified veterinary surgeon and nursing team in TPE are responsible for operating and monitoring your pet throughout the procedure.
CONNECT: Under sedation, a central intravenous catheter is connected to your pet’s vein via their jugular for the procedure.
PROCEDURE AND PATIENT CARE:
A small portion of your pet’s blood is removed and mixed with a fluid that prevents the blood from clotting. Most of your pet’s plasma is separated and removed from the other parts of their blood. The remaining parts of your pet’s blood are mixed with the new replacement plasma and then returned to your pet. After the procedure, your pet is awakened, monitored and given cage rest to aid their recovery.
Indications for Therapeutic Plasma Exchange (TPE)
- Neuromuscular Diseases
- Myasthenia Gravis
- Polyradiculoneuritis
- Acute polymyositis
Metabolic Diseases
- Acute hepatic failure
- Hyperlipidemia
Hematologic Diseases
- Immune-mediated hemolytic anemia
- Immune-mediated thrombocytopenia
- Hyperviscosity syndrome
- Hyperleukocytosis (leukemia)
- Polycythemia
- Pure red cell aplasia (anti-EPO antibodies)
- Neonatal isoerythrolysis
- Red blood cell exchange
Kidney Diseases
- Systemic lupus
- Lepto-associated pulmonary hemorrhage
- Antibody mediated glomerulonephritis
Miscellaneous
- Drug overdosage
- Exogenous toxin removal
- Polyarthritis
- Pemphigus foliaceus
- Myasthenia Gravis
Immune-mediated hemolytic anemia
Therapeutic plasma exchange at (NSVECC) North Shore Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care
Pre treatment
Post Treatment
Effects of a single (3-hour) TPE treatment to correct severe in-saline agglutination in a dog with IMHA, Immunie-mediated hemolytic anemia.
Therapeutic Plasma Exchange should be considered as a FIRST LINE treatment for severe IMHA.