+91-90 7005 7005
Bone marrow transplant is a medical procedure to replace an unhealthy bone marrow which is unable to produce blood cells with a healthy one. Bone marrow is a spongy part inside some of the bones of our body like our hip & thigh bone. It contains hematopoietic stem cells which produce the three types of blood cells:
Red blood cells that carry oxygen to all the cells of the body
White Blood cells that keep you safe from infections
Platelets that help in clotting of blood
That is why bone marrow transplant is also known as stem cell transplant.
When is a bone marrow transplant done?
Various ailments both acute as well as chronic may affect the functioning of the bone marrow. The transplant is suggested by the doctors only when there is no other way out.
Some of the conditions that may require bone marrow transplant are:
Multiple Myeloma
Amyloidosis
Acute or chronic Leukemia
Hodgkin’s or Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
Myelofibrosis
Sarcoma
Germ cell tumors
Plasma cell disorders
Neuroblastoma
Immune disorders
Macroglobulinemia
Autoimmune disorders
After cancer treatments like chemotherapy or radiation
What to do once a bone marrow transplant has been advised?
Once the bone marrow transplant is advised to you, you have to decide which type of transplant will be suitable for you. You may discuss this with your doctor who will guide you through.
There are two types of bone marrow transplants:
Autologous
This transplant involves injecting your own previously preserved stem cells in your body. This is an option when you are about to undergo chemotherapy and you may be advised by your doctors to preserve your stem cells in case a need arises. These stem cells are stored in a stem cell bank and used if you require bone marrow transplant in the future.
Allogeneic
In allogeneic transplant, the stem cells are taken from a compatible donor which mostly is a close relative but it can be someone unknown as well. The stem cells from the donor are retrieved before the procedure and then injected into the recipient. In some cases, the mothers after giving birth to their baby, donate the stem cells from the newborn's umbilical cord for preservation that can be utilised for someone in future. This is known as a cord blood transplant.
Preparation for a Bone Marrow Transplant
Before finalizing you as a candidate for bone marrow transplant, you will have to go through various screening tests and procedures to determine whether you are healthy enough to undergo the transplant. These screening tests may include routine blood tests as well as scans.
Before the procedure
In case of an allogeneic transplant, you will be required to find a suitable donor. The transplant team may also do a preliminary health checkup of the donor to ascertain his compatibility with you. After this, the stem cells shall be taken from the donor’s blood or bone marrow as per the doctor’s advice and stored in a stem cell bank.
If you are undergoing an autologous transplant, then the blood stem cells will be collected from your body. To ensure a boost in the amount of stem cells and release these into the blood, you will be injected with a growth factor for a few days. Thereafter, blood will be taken from a vein to be directly put in a machine that aids in a process called apheresis. In this process, all the specialised cells of the blood including white blood cells, red blood cells, platelets and stem cells are separated and stored for use in the future.
During the procedure
Before undergoing the actual procedure, you will be required to go through a conditioning process. In this, certain chemotherapy drugs will be administered to you to suppress your immune function. This is done to ensure that your body accepts the new cells and there is no exaggerated response to the same. Also, if you have cancer, the chemotherapy drugs will be able to destroy the malignant cells. The intensity of the conditioning drugs will depend on various factors including your disease condition, age and overall health status. These conditioning drugs may also result in certain side effects such as:
Mouth ulcers
Nausea
Vomiting
Infection
Bleeding
Anemia
Heart, liver or lung failure
Once the conditioning is done, the stem cells will be injected into your blood via an intravenous catheter that will be placed near your neck in your chest. This central line will remain for a few days for injecting the medications into your system. This is entirely a painless procedure which does not require anesthesia.
After the procedure
The stem cells injected into your body are meant to enter your bone marrow and start multiplying. Thereafter, if all goes well, the production of new blood cells starts. This whole process known as engraftment may take many days or even weeks.
The progress shall be monitored with regular blood tests and you may require infusion of blood cells till your own bone marrow becomes functional. You should also be on the lookout for any side effects such as infection, nausea, vomiting and contact the doctor in case of any such occurrences.
If you do not have any other side effects or symptoms, you may be discharged from the hospital after a few days. However, you may be required to visit the hospital for regular follow ups. It is advisable for the patient & their family to arrange for a stay nearby to the hospital as it may take about an year for the body to get accustomed to the stem cells and to develop the immunity.
What are the possible complications after a bone marrow transplant?
There may be a chance that there are no complications in your case after the transplant but it is essential to remain aware of the same.
Graft versus host disease (GVHD)
If you have undergone allogeneic transplant, then you are at risk of GVHD which is more likely to occur if you have taken the stem cells from an unrelated donor. However, it can occur otherwise as well. The symptoms of GVHD may occur within the first month or even after a longer duration of time. These may include:
Skin rashes
Cough and breathlessness
Nausea and vomiting
Jaundice
Dry eyes
Joint pains
Change in appetite, bloating or Diarrhoea
The other complications that might occur are:
Organ damage
Cancer
Infection
Bleeding
Eye problems such as cataract
Infertility
Liver or kidney problems
Breathing problems
Cramps or numbness in arms or legs
Self-care
After discharge from the hospital, you will have to be careful of your nutrition needs and physical activity. Consulting a nutritionist will be a wise decision so that you do not have any doubts about what to eat and avoid.
Apart from that:
Be careful of taking the medications on time
Staying physically active as much as possible
Staying away from any kind of infection
Avoiding alcohol or tobacco intake
Take supplements as per doctor’s advice
The entire transplant process can be overwhelming for some people, so if you feel that you are unable to cope with the stress or are facing anxiety issues, do not hesitate to opt for counselling session with a mental health expert.
Before undergoing the procedure, you will be required to undergo certain tests and screenings so as to assess and evaluate your overall health. This is important to ensure that you are physically prepared for the procedure. An intravenous catheter (central line) will also be introduced in a large vein of your neck. This is used later on for infusing the new stem cells and medicines into the patient’s body.
The procedure starts with the collection of healthy stem cells
This is then followed by the conditioning process
The patient is subjected to chemo or radiation therapy
The intensity of the conditioning therapy varies from one patient to another depending upon their health history and age.
The final step is the transplant
The collected stem cells are infused into the patient’s body via the intravenous catheter or central line. These stem cells travel to the bone marrow via the bloodline and gradually multiply to facilitate the production of healthy blood cells. This process is known as engraftment. It may take a few weeks for your blood count to return back to normal.
After the bone marrow transplant, the patient will be kept under keen medical supervision and may be discharged within a few days or even a week depending upon how well he/she is responding to the treatment. In certain case, the patient might require periodic transfusion of red blood cells and platelets until the bone marrow starts producing these on its own.
Also, it is pertinent to understand that the immunity of the recipient is significantly compromised for the first few months following the transplant, hence it is important to take extra precautions.
The patient is required to make certain healthy lifestyle and dietary changes and restrict alcohol intake.
The goal of the bone marrow transplant depends upon the condition of the individual but there are certain benefits that are common to all. These include:
Some of the major risks associated with bone marrow transplant include:
, Delhi
1000 Consultation fee
NEXT AVAILABLE AT
1:00 PM, Today
1:00 PM, Today
Overall rating
Hospital Plot, Road Number 201, Sector-3, Dwarka, New Delhi-110075
1000
Monday to Saturday Waiting Time : 4-5 Min
Patient Info
Get Flat 20% Off on Online Payments*
, Delhi
1000 Consultation fee
NEXT AVAILABLE AT
1:00 PM, Today
1:00 PM, Today
Overall rating
BLK Super Speciality Hospital Pusa Road, New Delhi-110005
1000
Mon-Sat Waiting Time : 4-5 Min
Patient Info
Get Flat 20% Off on Online Payments*
Patient Info
Get Flat 20% Off on Online Payments*
Patient Info
Get Flat 20% Off on Online Payments*
Patient Info
Get Flat 20% Off on Online Payments*
Patient Info
Get Flat 20% Off on Online Payments*
Patient Info
Get Flat 20% Off on Online Payments*
Patient Info
Get Flat 20% Off on Online Payments*
Patient Info
Get Flat 20% Off on Online Payments*
Patient Info
Get Flat 20% Off on Online Payments*
.jpg)
, Delhi
1000 Consultation fee
NEXT AVAILABLE AT
1:00 PM, Today
1:00 PM, Today
Overall rating
FC 34, A-4 Paschim Vihar East, Landmark : Opposite Dda Sports Complex Paschim Vihar, Delhi - 110063
1000
Waiting Time : 4-5 Min
Consultant - Gynecologic oncology,
FC 34, A-4 Paschim Vihar East, Landmark : Opposite Dda Sports Complex Paschim Vihar, Delhi - 110063
Patient Info
Get Flat 20% Off on Online Payments*
Patient Info
Get Flat 20% Off on Online Payments*
Patient Info
Get Flat 20% Off on Online Payments*
Patient Info
Get Flat 20% Off on Online Payments*
Patient Info
Get Flat 20% Off on Online Payments*
Patient Info
Get Flat 20% Off on Online Payments*
Patient Info
Get Flat 20% Off on Online Payments*
Patient Info
Get Flat 20% Off on Online Payments*
Patient Info
Get Flat 20% Off on Online Payments*
Patient Info
Get Flat 20% Off on Online Payments*
Patient Info
Get Flat 20% Off on Online Payments*
Patient Info
Get Flat 20% Off on Online Payments*
Patient Info
Get Flat 20% Off on Online Payments*
Patient Info
Get Flat 20% Off on Online Payments*
Patient Info
Get Flat 20% Off on Online Payments*
Patient Info
Get Flat 20% Off on Online Payments*
Patient Info
Get Flat 20% Off on Online Payments*
.jpg)
, Bangalore
1000 Consultation fee
NEXT AVAILABLE AT
1:00 PM, Today
1:00 PM, Today
Overall rating
Bangalore
1000
Waiting Time : 4-5 Min
Patient Info
Get Flat 20% Off on Online Payments*
Max Super Speciality Hospital, Vaishali, Ghaziabad
1000 Consultation fee
NEXT AVAILABLE AT
1:00 PM, Today
1:00 PM, Today
Overall rating
W-3 Sector-1, Vaishali, Pincode 201012 Ghaziabad, NCR India
1000
Waiting Time : 4-5 Min
Principal Consultant - Medical Oncology & Centre Head,
W-3 Sector-1, Vaishali, Pincode 201012 Ghaziabad, NCR India
Pick Time (4 Slots available)
Patient Info
Get Flat 20% Off on Online Payments*
.jpg)
Max Super Speciality Hospital, Vaishali, Ghaziabad
1000 Consultation fee
NEXT AVAILABLE AT
1:00 PM, Today
1:00 PM, Today
Overall rating
W-3 Sector-1, Vaishali, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh 201012
1000
Waiting Time : 4-5 Min
Senior Consultant - Cancer Care/ Oncology,
W-3 Sector-1, Vaishali, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh 201012
Pick Time (4 Slots available)
Patient Info
Get Flat 20% Off on Online Payments*
.jpg)
He has 30 Years of experience
Paras Hospitals, Gurugram, Gurugram
1000 Consultation fee
NEXT AVAILABLE AT
1:00 PM, Today
1:00 PM, Today
Overall rating
C-1 Sushant Lok- 1 Sector-43 Phase- I Gurgaon, Haryana 122002 (India)
1000
Mon-Sat Waiting Time : 4-5 Min
Consultant - Cardiology,
He has 30 Years of experience
C-1 Sushant Lok- 1 Sector-43 Phase- I Gurgaon, Haryana 122002 (India)
Patient Info
Get Flat 20% Off on Online Payments*
Patient Info
Get Flat 20% Off on Online Payments*
Patient Info
Get Flat 20% Off on Online Payments*
Patient Info
Get Flat 20% Off on Online Payments*
Patient Info
Get Flat 20% Off on Online Payments*
Patient Info
Get Flat 20% Off on Online Payments*
Patient Info
Get Flat 20% Off on Online Payments*
Patient Info
Get Flat 20% Off on Online Payments*
Patient Info
Get Flat 20% Off on Online Payments*
Patient Info
Get Flat 20% Off on Online Payments*
Patient Info
Get Flat 20% Off on Online Payments*
Patient Info
Get Flat 20% Off on Online Payments*
Patient Info
Get Flat 20% Off on Online Payments*
Patient Info
