Quote:
Originally Posted by Stellatum
Could someone who's had both tell me the differences? The IVIG only lasted me two weeks, so I'm wondering about plasmapheresis if I tank again. How many days does it last? Do you need a port instead of an IV? How is that put in--under just local anesthesia or what? And how long does it stay in? Thanks.
Abby
|
Hi Abby,
I've been lurking here for a few months and you prompted me to join today with your question. I had plasmapheresis last year before having a thymectomy. I had a triple lumen catheter placed in my jugular for two weeks. It was visible on the side of my neck. The catheter was placed as outpatient surgery with sedation.
I understand that plasmapheresis can also be done using peripheral IV's. In my case my surgeon wanted access to a large vein. It apparently is easier to do this way. I had 5 treatments and started to notice a decrease in symptoms after a week. The improvement lasted about 6 weeks. I now have IVIG once every month and the results aren't as good as with plasmapheresis. I usually have three weeks of improvement of varying degrees with IVIG.