Fresenius SE





Adsorber Therapy

Photo: adsorber therapyRemoving pathogenic substances from blood

Adsorber therapy is a new and innovative therapy concept for selectively removing undesirable and pathogenic substances from blood outside the body without supplying substances. It is generally used for patients with diseases where drug treatment methods have failed or were not enough.

The following acute diseases can be treated with adsorber therapy:

  • Familial hypercholesterolemia, a hereditary lipometabolic disorder
  • autoimmune diseases (e.g. such as Pemphigus vulgaris or dilatative cardiomyopathy)
  • certain forms of nephritis and blood-coagulation disorders
  • organ rejection
The process is very effective and extremely well tolerated since patients are not given any drugs. DALI is also the first treatment that enables the removal of LDL cholesterol from whole blood. In addition, the treatment can have a positive effect on the progression of arteriosclerosis and on coronary heart disease.

Treatment of blood outside the body

In all adsorber treatments, the blood flows through a tube from a vein in the arm of the patient into the adsorber. The various adsorbers contain different materials which, like a sponge, selectively extract the unwanted and pathogenic substances from the blood. The cleansed blood is then returned to the patient through a vein in the other arm. A special machine pumps the blood through the adsorber and monitors the blood circulation outside the body.