Rheocarna treatment for non-dialysis patients

Abstract

Introduction: Rheocarna has attracted attention as an alternative therapy for severe chronic limb-threatening ischemia, and there have been reports of its usefulness. However, most of these reports have been on dialysis patients, and there are few reports on the treatment conditions and efficacy in non-dialysis patients. Methods: Four non-dialysis patients who received Rheocarna were studied to determine the conditions under which it was administered and its effectiveness. Results: The ulcer healed completely, but two patients required skin grafting. The treatment time and blood flow rate were 90–120 min and 50–80 mL/min, respectively. The processed volume was about 1.0 times the circulating blood volume, and the removal rate of low-density lipoprotein and fibrinogen was about 10%–15%. Conclusion: The ulcers healed despite the removal rate of low-density lipoprotein and fibrinogen being small. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the treatment conditions and effectiveness of Rheocarna in non-dialysis patients.