What is Apheresis?

Apheresis is the process by which platelets and other blood components are collected from the blood using a cell separator. Blood is drawn from the donor and Platelets, Plasma and/or Red Cells are collected by the cell separator. The remaining components are returned to the donor along with saline fluid. Each procedure take about one-and-one-half to two hours. Donor may watch movies, read or simply relax during the donation. The word itself is derived from the Greek word “aphaeresis” meaning “to take away.”