HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) — Huntsville Hospital is expanding care options for patients with blood disorders, launching a new outpatient red blood cell exchange (RBCx) service for adults through its dialysis unit.
The specialized treatment began last month and is designed to primarily help patients with conditions like sickle cell disease by removing damaged blood cells and replacing them with healthy donor cells. Hospital officials say the addition allows patients to receive advanced care locally.
During RBCx, patients are hooked to a machine that continuously removes their blood, discards the abnormal, sickle-shaped red blood cells, and adds back healthy donor cells mixed with plasma or saline. The process typically takes 90 minutes and may be repeated regularly to help prevent complications such as pain crisis, anemia, and organ damage…