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After doing the phlebotomy treatment for PV why do they throw it away?. Is it the fact of two many red blood cells?. Or is it because PV is

A myMPNteam Member asked a question 💭
Roswell, NM
December 5, 2025
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A myMPNteam Member

Yes

December 11, 2025
A myMPNteam Member

I think it would make sense to throw it away if we have a blood cancer

December 11, 2025
A myMPNteam Member

Thank you for sharing this. I’m 0 positive it’s needed all the time because it’s used a lot and they run out. They throw mine away too!. We did our part when we could and this makes me happy.

December 6, 2025
A myMPNteam Member

I’m glad you got an answer from the AI 🙂 I’ve wondered that myself and the nurses don’t know either. We always say how sad it is because I’m A- and that is a desirable blood type back when I used to donate. As soon as I was diagnosed I was told, I wouldn’t be able to donate. I had endometrial cancer a long time ago and wasn’t allowed to donate then. I had only found out about 3 years ago I was able to resume then had to stop again! Now it’s just thrown away 😕

December 6, 2025
myMPNteam

Why is blood from phlebotomy discarded after PV treatment?

Yes, the blood is discarded primarily because of the excess red blood cells. In polycythemia vera, your bone marrow produces too many red blood cells, which thickens your blood and increases the risk of dangerous blood clots.

The goal of phlebotomy is to reduce Show Full Answer

Why is blood from phlebotomy discarded after PV treatment?

Yes, the blood is discarded primarily because of the excess red blood cells. In polycythemia vera, your bone marrow produces too many red blood cells, which thickens your blood and increases the risk of dangerous blood clots.

The goal of phlebotomy is to reduce your hematocrit level (the percentage of red blood cells in your blood) to below 45 percent. By removing blood, the treatment lowers the overall volume of red blood cells, making your blood thinner and less likely to clot.

Unlike regular blood donation, the blood removed during therapeutic phlebotomy contains abnormally high levels of red blood cells due to PV. This makes it unsuitable for transfusion to other patients, which is why it must be discarded rather than donated.

The procedure helps reduce symptoms like headaches, dizziness, and that pressure-like fullness many people with PV experience. Many myMPNteam members report feeling better shortly after treatment, though some fatigue afterward is common.

December 5, 2025

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