
Lipoprotein Apheresis
Although statins are often the first line of treatment for individuals with high LDL cholesterol, familial hypercholesterolemia (FH), or high lipoprotein(a), also known as Lp(a), not all patients reach their LDL Safe Zone with statins.
In those cases, your healthcare provider may recommend lipoprotein apheresis. Lipoprotein apheresis is a nonsurgical therapy that removes high LDL cholesterol and Lp(a) from the blood. Lipoprotein apheresis is a two- to three-hour procedure where a person is connected to a special machine that filters their blood. The plasma portion of the blood, which contains cholesterol, is separated and run through the machine to remove the LDL and Lp(a) before the blood is returned to the body.
Who can do lipoprotein apheresis?
- People with FH, with or without cardiovascular disease
- People with homozygous FH (HoFH), with or without cardiovascular disease
- People with high Lp(a) who also have FH and cardiovascular disease
- Children with HoFH can begin lipoprotein apheresis as early as 3 years old.
Since the cholesterol levels in the blood go back up over time, this procedure is done every week to every other week. It is very safe and most people tolerate it well. However, it can mean that they might miss school or work. They might also have to drive a long distance because there are only 60 lipoprotein apheresis centers in the United States. A list of centers is below.
Ports and Fistulas
Lipoprotein apheresis can be done by accessing someone’s veins with special needles. However, people will often eventually need either a port or a fistula. A fistula is a large blood vessel created by surgically joining a vein and an artery. Fistulas are typically done in the forearm. Ports and fistulas helpthe apheresis team remove the blood from the blood vessels for treatment.
Before undergoing lipoprotein apheresis
Make sure you are not taking angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE inhibitors) to treat high blood pressure. The combination of lipoprotein apheresis and an ACE inhibitor can lead to severe plummeting of a person’s blood pressure.

Find help getting the care you deserve
Navigating health care today can be frustrating and difficult. The Family Heart Foundation can help you navigate your journey. Experts at the Care Navigation Center are ready to answer all your questions.
The following is a list of lipoprotein apheresis sites in the United States and Canada.
United States
Alabama Medical Group
Dr. Clare Carney
101 Memorial Hospital Drive
Mobile, AL 36608
251-410-3146
https://www.alabamamedicalgroup.com/
Mayo Clinic Hospital
5777 East Mayo Boulevard
Phoenix, AZ 85054
480-342-2000
https://www.mayoclinic.org/
For more information, please contact Dr. Lawrence Williams III, M.D.
Transfusion Medicine Associates
Dr. Thomas Hirose
24407 Calle De La Louisa. Suite 100
Laguna Hills, CA 92653-7609
949-581-0555
949-581-8000
info@TMAservice.com
www.lowercholesterolsafely.net
Cedars Sinai Medical Center
Dr. Ellen Clapper
8700 Beverly Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90048
310-423-5339
https://www.cedars-sinai.org/
Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute
127 S. San Vicente Blvd.
Advanced Health Sciences Pavilion, Third Floor, A3600
Los Angeles, CA 90048
1-800-CEDARS-1 (1-800-233-2771)
groupheartcenter@cshs.org
www.cedars-sinai.edu/Patients/Programs-and-Services/Heart-Institute/index.aspx
Kaiser Permanente
Dr. Lee Roland
4700 Sunset Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90227
323-783-1377
https://healthy.kaiserpermanente.org/
UC San Diego Medical Center
200 W. Arbor Drive
San Diego, CA 92103
619-543-5977
health.ucsd.edu/specialties/apheresis/Pages/ldl-apheresis.aspx
UC San Diego Medical Center
Dr. Amber Sanchez
9400 Campus Point Drive
San Diego, CA 92037
858-249-3037
a6sanchezhealth@ucsd.edu
https://health.ucsd.edu/
Transfusion Medicine Associates SF
Dr. Thomas Hirose
851 Burlway Road, #308
Burlingame, CA 94010-1720 (San Francisco Area)
650-347-9200
info@TMAservice.com
www.lowercholesterolsafely.net
Transfusion Medicine Associates
Dr. Thomas Hirose
24445 Hawthorne Blvd. Suite 206
Torrance, CA 90505-6562
310-373-5700
info@TMAservice.com
www.lowercholesterolsafely.net
University of Colorado Hospital
Ana Tandberg, RN
Aurora/Denver, CO
720-848-6515
www.uchealth.org/Pages/Services/Weight-and-Metabolism/LDL-Apheresis.aspx
University of Colorado Hospital
Dr. Marc Cornier
1665 Aurora Court
Aurora CO 80045
720-848-6515
https://www.uchealth.org/
University of Colorado Hospital
Ana Tandberg, RN
Aurora/Denver, CO
720-848-6515
www.uchealth.org/Pages/Services/Weight-and-Metabolism/LDL-Apheresis.aspx
University of Colorado Hospital
Dr. Marc Cornier
1665 Aurora Court
Aurora CO 80045
720-848-6515
https://www.uchealth.org/
Hartford Hospital
80 Seymour Street
Hartford, CT 06102
860-545-0594
www.harthosp.org/heart/LDL/default.aspx?cHT=apheresis
Hartford Hospital
85 Jefferson Street
Hartford CT 06102
Lisa Lombardi
860-545-0594
https://hartfordhospital.org/
Nemours/A.I. duPont Hospital for Children
1600 Rockland Rd.
Wilmington DE 19803
302-651-4426
https://www.nemours.org/
Preventive and Integrative Cardiology
Seth J. Baum, MD, FACC, FACPM, FAHA, FNLA
7900 Glades Road, Suite 400
Boca Raton, Florida 33434
561-488-5535
lipids@preventivecardiologyinc.com
www.preventivecardiologyinc.com/about-us/dr-seth-j-baum/
Florida LDL Apheresis Center
2300 Glades Rd, East Tower, #200
Boca Raton, FL 33431
561-338-8884
www.floridaapheresis.com
Millennium Physician Group
Cardiovascular Risk Reduction Center
John Diaz, MD
800 Goodette Road
Naples, FL 34102
239-263-8222
www.millenniumphysician.org
Florida Blood Services
9900 Dr. MLK Jr. St. N
St. Petersburg, FL 33716
(727) 568-2101
www.oneblood.org
Mayo Clinic (Jacksonville)
4500 San Pablo Road; Apheresis Unit
Mayo Building 3-104S
Jacksonville FL 32224
904-956-3312
www.mayoclinic.org
Emory University
1365 Clifton Road, NE
2nd Floor Bldg A
Atlanta, Georgia 30322
404-778-7777
www.emoryhealthcare.org
The Medical Center, Inc. dba Amos B Cancer Center
1831 5th Avenue
Columbus GA 31904
Evanston Hospital
2650 Ridge Ave.
Evanston, IL 60201
847-570-2000
www.northshore.org/locations/our-hospitals/evanston-hospital/
Loyola University Medical Center
Binh An P. Phan, MD, and Phillip J. DeChristopher, MD, PhD
2160 S 1st Ave
Maywood, IL 60153
888-584-7888
www.loyolamedicine.org/heart-vascular/ldl-apheresis
ITxM Diagnostics
Life Source
Chicago, Illinois
https://www.lifesource.org/us/about-lifesource/itxm/
DaVita Lincoln Park Dialysis
2484 N Elston Avenue
Chicago IL 60647
1-800-424-6589
www.davita.com/
Indiana University
Amale Lteif, M.D. and Christine Diene
Endocrinology
1120 W. Michigan Street
CL459
Indianapolis, IN 46202
317-274-1339
www.medicine.iupui.edu/endc
Fresenius Indy (St. Vincent’s Hospital)
2001 West 86th Street; 2nd floor
Indianapolis IN 46260
317-338-6735
University of Iowa Hospital and Clinics
Byron Vandenberg, MD
200 Hawkins Drive
Iowa City, IA 52242
800-777-8442
www.uihealthcare.org/content.aspx?id=233899
University of Kansas Medical Center
Patrick M Moriarty, MD, FACC, FACP
3901 Rainbow Boulevard
Kansas City, KS 66160
913-588-6057
913-588-5000
www.kumc.edu
Children’s Hospital Boston
300 Longwood Avenue
Boston, MA 02115
617-355-6000
www.childrenshospital.org
Partners Hospital (Massachusetts General Hospital)
Corrigan Minehan Heart Center
32 Fruit Street
Boston, MA 02114
866-MGH-8910
www.massgeneral.org
Johns Hopkins Hospital
550 North Broadway, Suite 810
Baltimore MD 21231
410-955-5035
www.hopkinsmedicine.org
Metabolic Leader
71 US Route 1, Suite J
Scarborough, ME 04074-9375
207-396-6433
www.metabolicleader.com
University of Michigan/Cardiovascular Medicine at Domino’s Farms
24 Frank Lloyd Wright Drive
Reception: Lobby A
Ann Arbor, MI 48105
734-647-7321
1-888-287-1082
www.med.umich.edu
William Beaumont Hospital
3601 W. Thirteen Mile Road
Royal Oak, MI 48073
800-328-8542
https://www.beaumont.edu/heart/about-heart-vascular-services/
Mayo Clinic
200 First St. SW
Rochester, MN 55905
507-284-2111
www.mayoclinic.org
Allina Health (Abbott Northwestern Hospital)
800 East 28th Street
Minneapolis MN 55407
763-780-8810
https://www.allinahealth.org/abbott-northwestern-hospital
Washington University
660 South Euclid Avenue
St. Louis, MO 63110
314-362-3500
www.endo.wustl.edu
Washington University Physicians
Anne Carol Goldberg, MD, FACP
4921 Parkview Place, 5th Floor, Suite C
St. Louis, MO 63110
314-362-3500
www.wuphysicians.wustl.edu/physician2.aspx?PhysNum=742
Flowood River Oaks HMA Medical Group
200 Key Drive
Madison MS 39110
615-605-2085
Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center
Mary P. McGowan, MD, FNLA
One Medical Center Drive
Lebanon, NH 03756
603 650-2929
www.dartmouth-hitchcock.org
United Blood Services
1515 University Blvd NE
Albuquerque, NM 87102
800-333-8037
University of New Mexico
2211 Lomas Blvd NE; Infusion Center
Albuquerque NM 87106
505-272-2111
https://hsc.unm.edu/health/locations/unm-hospital.html
North Shore University Hospital
NORTHWELL Health System
Dr. Guy L. Mintz,FACC,FACP,FNLA, FASPC
Director of Lipid Apheresis
300 Community Drive
Manhasset, New York 11030
(516) 482-3401
https://www.northwell.edu/
Rogosin Institute/New York Presbyterian Hospital – Comprehensive Lipid Control Center
505 E. 70th Street at York Avenue, 2nd floor (entrance on 70th Street)
New York, NY 10021
212-746-6972
www.rogosin.org
University of Rochester Medical Center
Robert C. Block, MD, MPH, FACP, FNLA
601 Elmwood Avenue
Rochester, NY 14642
585-341-7700
University of North Carolina
Lipid Prevention Clinic
300 Meadowmont Village Circle
Suite 313
Chapel Hill, NC 27517
984-974-7244
www.uncmedicalcenter.org/uncmc/care-treatment/heart-vascular
Hoxworth Blood Center
3130 Highland Avenue
Cincinnati, Ohio 45267
513-558-1296
www.hoxworth.org/patient-services/therapeutic-apheresis.html
Therapeutic Apheresis Cleveland Clinic
2049 East 100th Street
Cleveland, OH 44195
216-444-2633
216-445-5600
800-223-2273 ext. 55600
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/
Ohio State University Medical Center
410 West 10th Avenue
Columbus OH 43210
614-293-8836
https://wexnermedical.osu.edu/
Oklahoma Cardiovascular Associates
Carl J. Rubenstein, MD
4050 West Memorial Road
Third Floor
Oklahoma City, OK 73120
405-608-3800
www.okheart.com
Oregon Health and Science University
3181 S.W. Sam Jackson Park Road
Portland, OR 97239
503 494-8311
feedback@ohsu.edu
www.ohsu.edu
The Heart Group’s Preventive Cardiology and Apheresis Clinic
217 Harrisburg Avenue
Lancaster, PA 17603
717-544-8300
www.lancastergeneralhealth.org
lancastergeneralhealth.org/LGH/Our-Services/HeartCenter/Programs/Preventive-Cardiology—Apheresis-Clinic-(1).aspx
The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
Don L. Siegel, MD, PhD
Christa Eisenmann, R.N.
3400 Spruce St, Ravdin
Philadelphia, PA19104
215-662-3942
www.pennmedicine.org
pathology.uphs.upenn.edu/ClinicalServices/TransfusionMedicine/cs_transmed_aphresis.aspx
ITxM Diagnostics
3636 Blvd of the Allies
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
412-209-7270
www.itxmdiagnostics.org
The Reading Hospital and Medical Center Special Blood Collections
420 South Fifth Avenue
West Reading, PA 19611
484-628-8010
https://reading.towerhealth.org/services/blood-services/apheresis-center/
Vanderbilt Health One Hundred Oaks
719 Thompson Lane
Nashville, TN 37204
(615) 322-2318
(615) 322-2465
www.vanderbilthealth.com/cardiovascular/22999
Vanderbilt University Medical Center East, South Tower 5209
1215 21st Ave. South
Nashville, TN 37232
(615) 322-2318
www.vanderbilthealth.com/cardiovascular/22999
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
1211 Medical Center Dr
Nashville, TN 37232
(615) 936-1450
(615) 322-2465
www.vumc.org
Cancer Care Centers of South Texas
100 NE Loop 410, Suite 600
San Antonio, TX 78216
210-424-1600
www.cancercaresouthtexas.com
Cardiovascular Health Solutions
207 W 5th Street
Ferris TX 75125
972-842-3016
www.cardiovascularhealthsolutions.com
Dallas VA Medical Center – VA North Texas Health Care System
4500 S Lancaster Road
Dallas TX 75216
214-742-8387
www.northtexas.va.gov
Parkland Memorial Hospital
5201 Harry Hines Boulevard
Dallas TX 75235
214-590-4622
www.parklandhospital.com
UT Southwestern Medical Center
5939 Harry Hines Boulevard
Dallas TX 75390
214-645-8000
https://utswmed.org/conditions-treatments/apheresis/
Utah Lipid Center
President, Eliot A. Brinton, MD, FAHA, FNLA, FACE
421 Wakara Way, Suite 121
Salt Lake City, UT 84108
801-583-8852
After Hours: 801-403-7530
www.utahlipidcenter.org
https://hstrial-eliotbrinton.homestead.com/
Virginia Nephrology Group
3930 Walnut St
Fairfax, Virginia 22030
(703) 246-9246
www.vanephrology.com
Virginia Commonwealth University Health System
1250 East Marshall Street
Richmond VA 23298
804-828-9000
www.vcuhealth.org
ITxM Diagnostics
Virginia Blood Services
2825 Emerywood Pkwy
Richmond, VA 23294
(800) 989-4438
Harborview Medical Center Apheresis Department
325 9th Avenue
Seattle, WA 98104
206-520-5000
www.uwmedicine.org
www.uwmedicine.org/locations/endocrinology-diabetes-harborview
Blood Center of Wisconsin
638 North 18th Street
Milwaukee, WI 53233
414-933-5000
bc-info@bcw.edu
www.bcw.edu/bcw/index.htm
Wausau Hospital/Cardiovascular Associates of Northern Wisconsin
333 Pine Ridge Boulevard
Wausau, WI 54401
715-847-2121
Pediatric Cardiology 715-847-2488
aspirus.org/AspirusWausauHospital/Our-Locations/Aspirus-Wausau-Hospital-518.aspx
Campbell County Health
501 South Burma Avenue
Gillette WY 82716
307-688-2682
https://www.cchwyo.org/
Canada
Laval University Hospital
CHUQ CHUL, 2705 Boulevard Laurier
Quebec City PQ G1V4G2, Canada
418-654-2106
https://iucpq.qc.ca/en
University of Western Ontario (Victoria Hospital)
800 Commissioners Road E
London ON N6C 6B5, Canada
519-685-8500
https://www.schulich.uwo.ca/cns/about_us/hospital_facilities.html
The Hospital for Sick Children
555 University Avenue
Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
416-813-1500
https://www.sickkids.ca/AboutSickKids/Contact-Us/index.html