Shillong, Sept 6: Woodland Hospital, Shillong has successfully performed the State’s first ever plasma exchange therapy on a 39-year-old female patient.
Plasma exchange is a form of Blood Purification System, which is different from the dialysis system. Plasma exchange is a process where the plasma of a patient is changed through a special filter, that connects the filter to the machine and it could be a dialysis machine, said Dr. Indakiewlin Kharbuli, the Consultant Nephrologist of Woodland Hospital, Shillong.
Dr Kharbuli further said the plasma exchange is a simple procedure which takes only around 20 minutes, whereby all the plasmas that are harmful to the patient are exchanged with fresh plasma.
The patient who require plasma exchange include patient who have antibodies in the system, like special case of TTP (Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura), and any anti-GBM related disease.
Dr. Kharbuli also informed that in the month of June this year she had performed the first special case on a 39-year-old female patient.
She said the female patient was shown to the medical specialist and it was informed that the blood profile of the patient had less hemoglobin with some impairment of kidney function.
After confirmatory test that the patient had acquired TTP, Dr Kharbuli said they immidiately started with plasma exchange and with several plasma exchanges this woman come out of danger.
The patient was discharged in June itself with injectable medication. The follow-up of the patient two weeks back showed that she was completely stable and till date there is no fresh complaint from her, added Dr. Kharbuli.
Dr. Kharbuli further cautioned that acquired TTP is a dangerous disease and, without proper treatment, upto 90 percent of patients can succumb to death, due to bleeding and other complications.
However, with proper treatment, the mortality risk is less than 10 percent.
She also shared that the treatment is only for patient(s) who have reached an acute stage and the patient only requires monitoring thereafter to see if he/she requires more plasma exchange. However, for dialysis, a patient has to come to hospital 3 to 4 times a week.
