apheresis /əfer″əsis, af′ərē″sis/ [Gk, aphairesis, removal] , a procedure in which blood is temporarily withdrawn, one or more components are selectively removed, and the rest of the blood is reinfused into the donor. The process is used in treating various disease conditions in the donor and for obtaining blood elements for the treatment of other patients or for research. Also called pheresis. See also leukapheresis, plasmapheresis, plateletpheresis.
