First successful, LDL Apheresis treatment, Wisconsin

Yellow gallon is the waste material 

Actual procedure

After a very nice picnic lunch with my husband at a local state park, scheduled appointment was 1:30 pm.  Prior to treatment they take your blood pressure have you sign away your life with legal documentation and get you settled into the "chair" for the three plus hour procedure.  The following notes describe the procedure and my physical and emotional response

• Blood pressure is taken and a brief analysis of access points within the AV Fistula is determined.  The arm area is cleaned and insertion of the 17 gauge needles begins and then a flushing of solution (first site was in, but didn't flush which means it wouldn't function,) at this point another technician was called in and after a brief discussion between technicians and myself, I agreed to continue a second site insertion (this site failed prior to flushing) at this point I was asked if they could continue-I took a time out and left the room and had a discussion with myself "by continuing the discomfort of additional "pokes" and hopeful function of the fistula, I could then determine yes, this procedure will work or secondly, I could have the AV fistula removed and remain hopeful for a future drug therapy or medical procedure that I may be able to tolerate.  I went with two additional "pokes" and were both successful!!!!!

• Once the needles and flushing procedure is completed lines are connected to the Kaneka machine and the cleansing of LDL cholesterol is filtered through the absorption column called liposorber begins. Also, a blood draw for lipid panel numbers are taken in the beginning and end of the procedure

 Kaneka’s lipid-apheresis treatment is using an adsorption column to eliminate LDL and Lp(a) particles from blood or plasma. This adsorption column is called Liposorber®.

The adsorber material of the Liposorber® contains negatively charged dextran sulfate bound on cellulose beads distinguished by:

• A selective reduction of positively charged apo B-containing lipoproteins for patients 
  suffering from elevated LDL and Lp(a) levels
• HDL cholesterol and other plasma components are mainly preserved

During Kaneka’s lipid-apheresis treatment the patient’s blood circulates outside the body through the Liposorber® dextran sulfate column where it effectively removes LDL and Lp(a) from the blood or plasma and thereafter returns to the patient.

This can be done:

1. directly by whole blood treatment
2. by plasma treatment after plasma separation

Kaneka’s lipid-apheresis treatment consists of disposable components which are discarded after each lipid-apheresis treatment.  www.kanekapharma.com/en/apheresis.html‎

During the remaining three plus hours your arm access and body has limited mobility, this 
becomes rather challenging and body discomforts (aches and feet falling asleep) gradually 
increase. You are also limited to activities.  I brought my tablet to access reading, social and 
business tasks.  In addition the technician reports how things are going throughout the procedure
with the liposorber numbers. Access sites felt fine, I didn't experience nausea, light headedness
or thirst. Once the overall numbers which I can't recall, have been reached the lines are removed
and cotton balls and tape is applyed with pressure on the access sites for about 15 minutes 

After leaving I wasn't light headed or nauseous but very thirsty-I recommend 

• Ice chips (water, electrolytes) and ice packs for 24 hours
• Increase in dietary foods high in iron
• A good nights rest and light activities for 24 hours
• A driver and support group
• Results of the lipid panels to monitor your treatment

Very large hematoma and additional bruising, WE NEED REAL TIME ULTRA SOUND FOR PATIENTS UNDERGOING ANY FORM OF APHERESIS

Lipid panels- Total cholesterol 132 with LDL 44