What is a Bone Marrow Transplant?
Bone marrow transplants are one of the most life-saving procedures that have been credited with saving countless lives over the years. It is a surgical procedure that uses the patient's bone marrow to replace the blood cells that have been destroyed in a disease or injury. The procedure can be lifesaving, especially for patients with leukemia, lymphoma, myeloma and other blood cancers. These diseases cause the body's blood cells to attack and destroy the bone marrow. If left untreated, these disorders can lead to death. A majority of hospitals provide safe and successful bone marrow transplants in India.
Why is it done?
A bone marrow transplant may be used to:
Replace or repair the bone marrow that has been harmed by the treatment in order to safely tolerate high doses of chemotherapy or radiation.
Substitute dysfunctional bone marrow with fresh stem cells.
Provide fresh stem cells that can directly combat cancer cells
How Does a Bone Marrow Transplant Work?
A bone marrow transplant is an extremely complex and risky surgery. They can be done either as an isolated procedure or in combination with other treatments, such as chemotherapy. Doctors use a small incision in the lower back to remove a sample of the patient's bone marrow. The surgery is usually done in two stages:
Harvesting: Harvesting takes place during the initial surgery when doctors remove stem cells from your blood or bone marrow and place them into storage tanks.
Infusion: Infusion occurs later when doctors add these stored cells to your bloodstream intravenously (through a vein).
There are several risks involved in a bone marrow transplant, including death from infection or bleeding, as well as graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), which is an autoimmune condition where the donor's immune system attacks the recipient's tissues. In order to minimize these risks, doctors take measures such as giving pre-transplant chemotherapy and radiation therapy to shrink the donor's tumor before surgery.
Side Effects of a Bone Marrow Transplant
Some of the side effects of a bone marrow transplant may include:
• Painful swelling in the arms or legs due to the use of immune-suppressing drugs
• New or worsened infections
• Infertility due to the use of fertility treatments during treatment
• Risk of developing cancer after receiving a stem cell transplant
Conclusion
A bone marrow transplant in India is a life-saving procedure that can help treat some types of cancer. A donor's bone marrow is collected and tested to see if it is compatible with the patient's cancerous cells. If the match is good, the patient's immune system is suppressed so the donor's cells will not attack the cancerous cells. The donated bone marrow then replaces the damaged or missing white blood cells in the patient, helping to fight off infection and prolonging survival rates for patients with leukemia and other cancers.
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