Bone Marrow Transplant: What You Need to Know

. Chapters 0:00 Introduction 1:13 who needs a bone marrow transplant 2:03 Risks 3:11 Preparation 3:34 After the procedure Bone Marrow Transplant: What You Need to Know • The bone marrow is a fatty, spongy tissue that is responsible for the development of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets.  • The three are important components of the blood and are essential for basic life functions.  • Damage to the bone marrow can be a result of infection, disease, or chemotherapy. The damage can prove to be life-threatening as the development of blood cells and platelets is compromised.  • Damaged or destroyed bone marrows have to be replaced in a procedure known as a bone marrow transplant.  • This involves transplanting blood stem cells that go to the bone marrow, producing new blood cells, and helping out in the development of new bone marrow.  • It is a process of replacing damaged stem cells with healthy ones that come from a donor that matches with the patient requiring the bone marrow transplant.  • The cells can also come from the patient’s body.  • They may be taken before a medical procedure such as chemotherapy and harvested to be used later if required. • Let’s look at bone marrow transplant in detail:  Who Needs a Bone Marrow Transplant? • A bone marrow transplant is required when a person’s bone marrow is not healthy enough to perform its functions.  • This may be due to conditions such as:  • Cancers affecting the marrow such as lymphoma, leukemia, and multiple myeloma.  • Aplastic anemia, which affects the marrow and causes it to stop making blood cells.  • Thalassemia, a genetic disorder that causes the body to make abnormal hemoglobin.  • Damage to the bone marrow from chemotherapy.  • Sickle cell anemia, an inherited blood disorder that causes the development of abnormal red blood cells.  • Congenital neutropenia, an inherited condition that results in recurring infections.  Risks • Risks commonly associated with a bone marrow transplant are:  • Nausea • Pain • Chills • Fever • A drop in blood pressure • Shortness of breath • Headache • These conditions are usually short-lived, but your risk of getting them depends on: • Age • Type of marrow transplant • Overall health • The disease you are receiving treatment for • Some serious, but rare, complications include:  • Cataracts • Organ damage • Graft-versus-host-disease (GVHD)  • Anemia • Infections • Mucositis • Bleeding in the brain, lungs, and other parts of the body • Graft failure • Early menopause • Nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting Preparation • A bone marrow transplant is preceded by significant preparation.  • You will need to undergo tests to see what type of transplant you need, with autologous being done with your stem cells and allogeneic using cells from a donor.  • You have to ask a lot of questions from your doctor and make sure you are aware of all the risks before going ahead with it.  After the Procedure • The success of the procedure is highly dependent on how closely the patient and donor’s cells match.  • The first sign of success is rising white blood cell count, which may take 28 days to appear.  • Overall recovery can take up to 3 months during which a patient will be constantly monitored to make sure they do not reject the donor’s cells.