LDL Apheresis

About This Procedure

Certain patients with very high, poorly controlled, LDL cholesterol levels can receive LDL apheresis at the Massachusetts General Hospital Corrigan Minehan Heart Center. A dialysis-like therapy, this treatment is performed bi-weekly and reduces LDL cholesterol levels by 60 to 70 percent.

LDL apheresis is a dialysis-like therapy in that the patient’s blood is passed through a machine to remove the LDL. Two veins must be accessed to do this. Patients visit Mass General Hospital bi-weekly to receive the treatment. These two to four-hour treatments are generally very well tolerated by patients and reduce LDL levels, improving the standard of living for many patients.

Qualifying Patients

• An LDL above 300 mg/dL in the absence of coronary disease

• An LDL above 200 mg/dL with coronary disease