The bone marrow transplant procedure is a medical process which is performed by the healthcare experts in order to replace the bone marrow that is damaged by any diseases or infection. This process is simple and it is all about transplanting the blood stem cells that travel to the bone marrow where they produce some new blood cells. This promotes the overall growth of the new marrow. What is bone marrow? If you are not that great in science, do not worry as we will discuss it in a simple language. Bone marrow is actually a spongy fatty tissue which is found in the bones. They are responsible for many functions such as:
- Creation of RBC or red blood cells that carry oxygen and nutrients throughout the body
- Creation of white blood cells which can fight infections
- Creation of platelets which can form the clots
Types of bone marrow transplant
There are mainly two types of bone marrow transplant and these are – autologous transplants and allogeneic transplants. Autologous transplants involve the use of the very own stem cells of the person. They typically harvest the cells before the bone marrow is damaged due to any therapy or radiation. Once the treatment is over, the cells are then returned into your body.
On the other hand, allogeneic transplant is essential if you have a medical condition that has damaged your bone marrow cells. You will need to get it transplanted to your body and the donor must be perfect match with your bone marrow.
What is the transplant procedure?
The transplant procedure is done in step by step process. Read on to know more about it:
- Before the start of the bone marrow transplantation, the bone marrow is thoroughly examined. This is done to determine the type of bone marrow cells that you require.
- Next is the conditioning process. This is done to suppress the immune system and destroying the cancer cells. This will allow the bone marrow to be ready for some healthy stem cells to get transplanted to your body. But this conditioning process comes with many side effects such as fatigue, organ complications, vomiting, hair loss, mouth ulcers, infertility and many more.
- Once the transplant is done, you will be advised by the doctor to take enough rest. There will be a lot of restrictions regarding your activities after this and you have to abide by all those to ensure better recovery.
Final Words
The bone marrow transplant procedure is simple but it is complicated to be done. Once you decide to have a bone marrow transplant, you need to find a donor whose stem cells match exactly with the recipient. This is extremely important in order to make it successful. You need to understand, as a donor, that you have a lot of different restrictions too. Before you can be ready for the bone marrow transplant procedure, you have to discuss with your healthcare professionals and seek advice from the doctors. This will help you to have a better idea about the procedure.
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