Bone Marrow transplant, also known as Stem Cell Transplant, is a treatment for a kind of cancer. In this treatment, the unhealthy stem or the marrow is replaced with the healthy one. The bone marrow could get damaged due to some kind of infection, disease or chemotherapy. The entire procedure of replacing the bone marrow includes resettling the blood stem cells which move to bone marrow where the production of new blood cells happens along with the growth of new marrow. The fatty and spongy tissue inside the bones is the bone marrow. It is responsible for creating the following:
- White blood cells which are responsible for fighting infection.
- Red Blood cells which are responsible for transporting oxygen throughout the body.
- Platelets which are responsible for controlling the bleeding.
Why do people need bone marrow transplant?
The Bone Marrow transplant hospitals India perform the transplants under the following conditions
- Cancers which infect the marrow such as Lymphoma, Leukemia and Myeloma
- Aplastic Anemia - condition where bone marrow stops producing new blood cells.
- Thalassemia – hereditary blood condition in which the body produces hemoglobin in an abnormal form.
- Sickle Cell Anemia – another hereditary condition that damages the red blood cells.
- Chemotherapy – damages the bone marrow.
What are the various kinds of Bone Marrow Transplant?
Majorly there are two kinds of Bone Marrow transplant. These are usually recommended by the doctors depending on the health condition and disease of the patient. Both of them are explained as under:
- Autologous – In this form of transplant, the patient’s very own blood producing cells are used.
- Allogeneic – In this transplant, the blood producing cells are being taken from someone else who is a match to the patient’s bone marrow.
What are the complications that one may encounter with Bone Marrow Transplant?
It is a major medical process and it may increase the risk of patients experiencing the following:
- Headache
- Nausea
- Low Blood Pressure
- Fever
- Chills
- Pain
- Breathlessness
Are there any serious complications as well?
The patients must ask as many questions as they want from the Doctor. The complications are dependent on the age, health, the disease and the kind of transplant required. The mild complications are explained above and the serious health complications could be:
- Bleeding in the lungs or any other body part.
- Infections
- Diseases hosted by the graft where the cells of the donor attack the immunity system
- Failure of the graft where the cells don’t produce new cells as expected.
- Cataracts
How can patients prepare for the Bone Marrow Surgery?
The Bone marrow transplant hospitals India, conduct a number of tests before making a patient undergo the transplant. Patients might have to undergo a chemotherapy session or radiation in order to destroy the harmful cancer cells. They might have to stay in the hospital for a week so the arrangements which need to be made by the patients are:
- Get the medical leaves from work
- Prefer the hospital closer to the residence
- Make financial arrangements.
- Pack the clothes and other necessary things
- Speak to the insurance agent and take care of the insurance claims
- Get someone to handle the kids and pets.
