Which medical procedure is used to remove lead from the body?

Chelation is the medical procedure specifically designed to remove lead and other heavy metals from the body. This process involves the administration of chelating agents, which are compounds that bind to lead and facilitate its excretion through the urine. Chelation therapy is particularly effective in cases of lead poisoning, as it helps to lower blood and tissue lead levels, thereby alleviating the potential toxic effects on the body, especially in sensitive populations like children.

Hemodialysis is a procedure primarily used to filter waste products from the blood in patients with kidney failure, but it does not effectively remove lead or other heavy metals. Therapeutic phlebotomy involves the removal of blood for therapeutic purposes, usually to treat conditions like polycythemia vera, and is not used for lead removal. Radiation therapy is a treatment mainly employed in cancer management, targeting tumors, and does not play a role in detoxifying heavy metals from the body.