Understanding More about Bone Marrow Transplant Procedure

Our bone marrow has an important and significant role to play. It aids the production of healthy red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets and hemoglobin. There are many people who suffer from bone marrow disorders. This leads to the disruption of normal production of blood cells in the body. This could lead to a number of problems including anemia, reduced capacity of the body in fighting off and protecting against infections, inability of the body to help blood clotting in case of injuries due to insufficient platelets and other such problems. When medications and other forms of treatment cannot solve the problem, bone marrow transplantation could be the only option. We will try to understand more about bone marrow transplant procedure so that our readers are able to get some basic ideas about it.

 

Types of Bone Marrow Transplants

 

Bone marrow transplants are classified into two major categories. They are autologous transplants and allogeneic transplants.

 

Autologous transplants are about using the own cell of a person. This form of transplant requires harvesting of the cells before various medical processes like chemotherapy or radiation. These processes often damage and kill healthy cells and therefore bone marrow transplant procedure could help in reducing the complications associated with radiation and chemotherapy. GVHD or Graft Versus Host Disease is a common risk associated with any type of bone transplant including autologous transplants.

 

Allogeneic transplants on the other hand involve the use of bone marrow cells from a donor. The donor must have a close genetic match. Compatible relatives is the best option, though matching bone marrow cells can also be found from many donor registries. This form of bone marrow transplant procedure is followed when the bone marrow has stopped functioning or is not functioning properly. Here also there is a risk of GVHD and other problems.

 

How to Prepare for Bone Marrow Transplants

 

The whole process of bone marrow transplants may take around a week. Adequate preparation must be made and the family members must be available close to the patient. The patient should also ensure that the insurance related matters are updated and if there are pets and children they also must be adequately taken care of.

 

When the actual transplantation happens, the immunity system of the body will be compromised. Therefore, the patients are made to stay in a special section of hospitals that are reserved for people who are receiving bone marrow transplants. This reduces the risk of infection quite significantly. Leukapheresis is the most commonly used method of bone marrow transplant. During this procedure, the donor is giving some intravenous medication. This medication helps the stem cells to move from the bone marrow to the blood cells. Blood is then drawn out from the donor through an intravenous procedure. The machine that does the job also has the capability of separating white blood cells from others.

 

The recipient will have a needle implanted on the upper right side of the heart. This needle is called a CVC or central venous catheter. The fluid that contains the new stem cells flow into the heart directly after which they disperse to various parts of the body. They find their new home in the bone marrow cells where they begin to grow.

 

The Final Word

 

Though bone marrow transplantation is a complicated process, it might become necessary and unavoidable in many situations. The success rates are quite good though risks of infections and rejections are very much there.

 

Gift of Life Marrow Registry Also Offers Following Services :

Bone Marrow Transplant

Leukemia Bone Marrow Transplant

Blood Cancer Bone Marrow Transplant

Contact US:

Gift of Life Marrow Registry
Address:  800 Yamato Rd suite 101  Boca Raton, FL
Phone: (800) 962-7769

Things To Consider When Going In For Bone Marrow Transplant

We might have heard about bone marrow transplant but we might lack the right knowledge and information about it because we may never have any reason to know about it. However, each year there are thousands of bone marrow transplants happening in your state and many thousands more in the country as a whole. In most of the cases, bone marrow transplant becomes absolutely essential and could be the difference between life and death. It would, therefore, be interesting to know more about it and have some basic understanding of leukemia bone marrow transplant. Before doing it, we should know some basic information about bone marrow. It is basically a spongy and small material inside the bones. This is the area where the body produces and also stores blood cells. When the bone marrow gets damages, it leads to reduced manufacture of blood cells and there are not enough cells left for taking care of your immune system. Bone marrow makes red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets amongst other cells required for normal body function and also for fighting off infections and keeping the immune system intact.

When Does A Person Require Bone Marrow Transplant?

When a person gets affected by certain types of cancer such as lymphoma, leukemia, or multiple myeloma the bone marrow becomes diseased and in many cases, it gets completely destroyed. Further, when a person is put through some high dose cancer treatments and chemotherapy, the radiation and drugs could also damage the bone marrow either partially or fully. In such cases, bone marrow transplant could help your body to produce the right kind of stem cells from where healthy white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets are produced. People suffering from aplastic anemia could suffer from a situation where the bone marrow is unable to make the right quantity of red blood cells. It also could be helpful in treating certain autoimmune diseases, where the healthy immune system of the body are attacked and destroyed.

How Is BMT (Bone Marrow Transplantation) Decided

The doctor is the right person who will decide whether a person requires BMT or not. The patient is run through a routine physical exam and several tests are also conducted. These tests include complete blood sample profiling and also they try and find out the condition of other vital organs such as the heart, lungs, kidney, liver and the brain. Based on the findings and the overall condition of the patient, a decision is taken whether a person is fit enough for bone marrow transplant or if he or she needs it.

If a transplant is a good option, a donor has to be found or the transplant can also be done from other parts of the body, if feasible and possible. Family members are often considered to be good for bone marrow donor match, but donors can also be found from the national registry.

Things To Bear In Mind

While bone marrow transplant decision has to be taken by the doctor, you must weigh the pros and cons associated with such transplants. There could be the risk of infection, rejection and other continuous problems, especially in the long term.

 

Contact US:

Gift of Life Marrow Registry

Address: 800 Yamato Rd suite 101 Boca Raton, FL
Phone: (800) 962-7769