Bone Marrow Transplant: Surgery & Types Explained

Bone marrow transplant is nothing less than a ray of hope for many who are battling for their life every day. Being a medical procedure, it is performed to replace the bone marrow that has been damaged or destroyed by a disease, infection, or chemotherapy. This procedure transplants the blood stem cells, which travel to the bone marrow where they produce new blood cells and promote the growth of new marrow.

A bone marrow is a spongy, fatty tissue inside your bones which creates the red and white blood cells and platelets. During the transplant, healthy stem cells are taken from a donor or from your own body.

Bone marrow transplant surgery in India is mostly preferred by doctors for treating cancer. As the number of cancer survivors is increasing, the transplant procedure is getting even more popular. Due to the use of highly advanced technology and the latest approaches, its success rate is much higher than before.

Types of Bone Marrow Transplants

1. Autologous Bone Marrow Transplant

Autologous bone marrow transplant uses a person’s own stem cells. They typically involve harvesting that person’s cells before beginning a damaging therapy like chemotherapy or radiation. Post-treatment, your own cells are returned to your body.

However, the fact that is to be kept in mind is that the transplant is possible only when you have healthy bone marrow.

2. Allogeneic Bone Marrow Transplant

This type of bone marrow transplant surgery uses cells from a donor. The only criteria is that the donor must be a close genetic match. So, in such cases, best BMT specialists recommend contacting close relatives. However, genetic matches can also be found from a donor registry.

Here, it becomes compulsory for the recipient to go for an allogeneic transplant where the bone marrow cells are themselves damaged and not in the condition to be used. Leading to more complications, you have to take medicines in order to suppress the immune system so that the body doesn’t attack the new cells. This can leave you susceptible to illness.

The success of this transplant depends on how closely the donor’s bone marrow matches your own.

Nanavati Max Hospital is listed among the top allogeneic transplant hospitals in Mumbai as it provides a specialised centre for treatment managed by an expert team of doctors.

Why is There a Need for Bone Marrow Transplant?

The sole reason for bone marrow transplant surgery is the improper functioning of a person’s marrow, which can be due to chronic infections, diseases, or cancer treatments.

Some of the reasons for unhealthy bone marrow are listed below:

• Aplastic anaemia, a disorder in which the marrow stops making new blood cells
  
  
• Cancers that affect the marrow, such as leukaemia, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma
  
  
• Damaged bone marrow due to chemotherapy
  
  
• Congenital neutropenia, an inherited disorder which causes recurring infections
  
  
• Sickle cell anaemia, an inherited blood disorder that causes misshapen red blood cells
  
  
• Thalassemia, an inherited blood disorder where the body makes an abnormal form of haemoglobin, an integral part of red blood cells
  
  

The doctors, before recommending a bone marrow transplant, will perform several tests to discover what type of bone marrow cells you need and whether you are fit to undergo a transplant or not. Radiation therapy or chemotherapy is used to kill all cancer cells or marrow cells before you get the new stem cells.

The transplant generally takes up to a week, so one needs to do pre-surgical preparations accordingly.

Milestones of a Successful Bone Marrow Transplant Surgery

Your Blood Counts Should Return to Safe Levels

Because you undergo a transplant, your blood count becomes very low for at least 1 to 2 weeks. This causes the following risks:

• Infection from low numbers of white cells
  
  
• Bleeding from low numbers of platelets
  
  
• Tiredness from low numbers of red cells
  
  

However, doctors lower these risks by giving blood and platelet transfusions after a transplant. They also recommend antibiotics to help prevent infections.

When the new stem cells multiply, they make more blood cells, which improves your blood counts. This is one way to know if the bone marrow transplant is a success.

It Controls Your Cancer

The transplant is done for an ultimate cure. Many cancers are curable and for others, remission is the best result. After the transplant, you need to visit the doctor regularly so that he can monitor its positive and negative developments.

Conclusion 

Bone marrow transplant surgery offers a vital chance at recovery for patients with severe blood disorders and cancers. With improved techniques and expert care, a successful bone marrow transplant can restore healthy cell production and improve quality of life. Early intervention and the right medical support are key.