The Concord Hospital Apheresis and Cell Therapy Unit is a Nurse Practitioner led unit providing specialist services for patients who require a range of therapies. We offer a serene and spacious treatment environment.
 

Therapies include apheresis procedures, Autologous stem cell transplant, bone marrow biopsy, stem cell collection, tissue typing or human leukocyte antigen (HLA) testing, post bone marrow transplant and cell therapy infusion vaccinations and venesection service.

Our team

Location

The Apheresis and Cell Therapy Unit is located on the Ground Floor of the Rusty Priest Building (Building 60) at Concord Hospital. We are open 7.30am-4pm, Monday to Friday.

Tips for preparing for treatment

• We will need your height and weight to calculate your total blood volume. 
• Have any medications that you are taking handy as sometimes we may have to reschedule the times you take these. 
• Please eat and drink as normal before you come. We will let you know if you need to fast. 
• Let us know if you have any allergies. 
• Before you come it is a good idea to drink non caffeinated drinks the day before and day of treatment.  This gives us plump veins to access for cannulas. 
• Wear loose, soft, warm clothing. 
• If you have a Central Venous Access Device wear a loose top preferably front opening. 
• If you need to change your appointment for venesections please call us to reschedule as early as possible. 
• If you need to change your apheresis appointment please call us, at least, the day before so that blood requests from Lifeblood (Red Cross) and other equipment can be put on hold. 
• If you are feeling unwell please call us to have a chat about what is happening. 
• You are very welcome to bring one support person. 
• We ask that you get your blood test done a few days before your venesection appointment, we will provide you with the pathology request forms. 
• We ask that you do not drive after some therapies such as a bone marrow biopsy after inhaling Penthrox (green whistle) or apheresis procedures.

Information for apheresis and cell therapies patients

For more information, please see the resources below or visit our general cancer information page. We recommend you speak with your doctor or health professional about your specific situation.