About Therapeutic Plasma Exchange

The Basics

What is Therapeutic Plasma Exchange?

Your blood is made up of cells (red, white, and platelets) suspended in a liquid called plasma. Over time, plasma accumulates harmful substances — inflammatory proteins, toxins, forever chemicals, microplastics, pathogenic antibodies, and aging-related molecules — that your organs cannot filter out on their own.

Therapeutic Plasma Exchange (TPE) addresses this by separating your plasma from your blood cells, discarding the contaminated plasma, and replacing it with a clean albumin solution. Your blood cells are then returned to your body with fresh, clean plasma. The entire process is sometimes called "an oil change for your blood."

TPE has been used in hospital settings for decades. It is FDA-approved and has an excellent safety profile when performed by trained medical professionals. At Plasma Life Center, every treatment is supervised by a board-certified physician.

Step by Step

How a TPE session works

Each session takes 1.5–3 hours. You sit comfortably in a recliner while our FDA-approved Terumo BCT Spectra Optia system does the work.

Preparation & IV Access

You arrive hydrated and having eaten normally. A nurse establishes gentle IV access — the only moment of brief discomfort. Vital signs are checked, and you're connected to the apheresis machine.

Blood Draw & Centrifugation

Your blood is slowly drawn and spun in a centrifuge at precise speeds. This separates the plasma (liquid containing toxins and harmful proteins) from your blood cells — red cells, white cells, and platelets.

Plasma Removal

The contaminated plasma — carrying inflammatory cytokines, PFAS, microplastics, autoantibodies, and other harmful substances — is removed and safely discarded.

Fresh Albumin Replacement

A sterile albumin solution replaces the removed plasma. Albumin is a vital protein naturally produced by your liver — it helps maintain blood volume, transport nutrients, and support healing.

Return & Recovery

Your blood cells — combined with the fresh albumin — are returned to your body. Most patients feel normal immediately and can resume regular activities the same day. You're monitored by our physician and nurse throughout the entire process.

Our Technology

Terumo BCT Spectra Optia — the gold standard

We use the Terumo BCT Spectra Optia Apheresis System, the same FDA-approved technology used in top hospitals worldwide. It provides maximum safety, precision, and efficiency in every treatment.

FDA-approved for therapeutic apheresis

Continuous monitoring with automated safety controls

Precise separation for optimal plasma exchange

Used in leading hospitals and clinics worldwide

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Dr. Muharrem Yunce — Plasma Life Center physician

Your Physician

Meet Dr. Muharrem Yunce

Dr. Yunce leads all treatments at Plasma Life Center with a commitment to safe, evidence-based, personalized care. His training at two of the world's top medical institutions — UCSF and Stanford University — gives him deep expertise in blood-based therapies and pathology.

He personally supervises every treatment session and works closely with each patient to develop individualized protocols based on their condition, lab results, and health goals.

Stanford University UCSF ABIM Board Certified American Board of Pathology 15+ Years Clinical Experience

Book a Consultation with Dr. Yunce

The science of blood renewal