Allogeneic Transplant

Best Allogeneic Transplant Hospital in Mumbai, India

The Allogeneic Transplant Unit is a part of the Centre for Haematology & Bone Marrow Transplant at Nanavati Max Super Speciality Hospital. It is a fully integrated unit providing comprehensive medical, diagnostic, and surgical services to patients suffering from a broad range of diseases, including malignant diseases such as leukaemias and lymphomas, and non-malignant diseases such as aplastic anaemia, and a variety of inherited diseases.

Our team of skilled haematologists and transplant physicians provides optimum patient care by following a multidisciplinary strategy to create a patient-centric treatment plan that is designed keeping in mind the unique needs of each patient. The unit is equipped with state-of-the-art treatment facilities offering advanced technology and the latest therapies to treat most of the complex conditions requiring allogeneic transplantation. We strive to provide comprehensive, compassionate, and personalized care to each patient under our care thereby improving their quality of life.

What is an Allogeneic Transplant?

During an Allogeneic transplant, the stem cells for transplantation are collected from a matching donor and transplanted into the patient’s body after high-intensity chemotherapy or radiation. The donor can be a sibling, a relative, or an unrelated person who is a Histocompatible Leukocyte antigen (HLA) match.

Alternate names for Allogeneic transplant are Allogeneic Bone Marrow Transplant, BMT – bone marrow transplant, Haplo – Haploidentical, or half-matched, transplant or HCT – Hematopoietic cell transplant SCT – stem cell transplant.

Body Location

Bone marrow, specifically from the hips

Additional Types

Some types of allogeneic bone marrow transplants are:

HLA (Immune)-Match Related Donor (Siblings) Transplant: The bone marrow or stem cells come from the relative of a patient, who is usually a sibling (brother or sister) who's HLA (Histocompatible Leukocyte antigen) matches completely with the patient.
HLA (Immune)-Matched Unrelated Donor Transplant: The bone marrow or stem cells come from an unrelated donor whose HLA (Histocompatible Leukocyte antigen) matches completely with the patient.
Haplo Identical Donor Transplant: The bone marrow or stem cells come from HLA (Histocompatible Leukocyte antigen) half-matched (haplotype) donors such as biological parents of the patient or half-matched siblings.
Umbilical Cord Blood Transplant: Umbilical cord blood cells are collected from a newborn child’s umbilical cord right after birth. These stem cells are very immature so the need for perfect matching is eliminated. The stem cells collected from the cord are frozen and stored until they are used for a transplant.

What are some conditions that are treated with an allogeneic bone marrow transplant?
An allogeneic transplant is used for:

Leukaemia
Lymphoma
Blood-related disorders
Immunodeficiency disorders
Plasma Cell Disorder
Bone Marrow Failure Syndromes
Metabolic Diseases
Hemoglobinopathies

How is Allogeneic Transplant Performed?

The Donor is given medicines to boost stem cell counts in the blood. The extraction is generally located near the hip bones.
Stem cells are collected from the donor’s blood
The patient then undergoes a round of conditioning regimen where they receive high doses of chemotherapy with or without radiation therapy.
Infusion of donor’s stem cells into the patient’s bloodstream (where they travel to the bone marrow to create new cells)
The patient must remain under close monitoring and medical care for a few days after which they are discharged and ready to go home.

How does one prepare for it?

There is an amount of preparation that goes on before the patient is given the infusion. The patient can be admitted for a duration anywhere between four to six weeks. They will be administered a lot of tests (physical exams and information about medical history) to make sure the conditions are ideal for the transplant to be successful. A Central Venous Catheter will be inserted into any blood vessel which will allow the patient to receive blood, treatment, fluids and even nutrients. It may be used to draw blood as well.

Procedure Type

Surgical

Follow-up and Recovery

The patient will have to follow up with their doctor for the next 2-3 months to monitor their condition. Their blood count and immune system will get better around the six-month mark and it will take up to a year to fully recover from the transplant. Some precautions patients can take for safe recovery are:

Eat a protein-rich diet
Avoid crowds, kids, pets & visitors
Practice safe food and drink habits
Wash your hands regularly
Do not smoke
If you have a central venous line or a PICC (Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter), learn how to take care of it
Ask your doctor about liquid food supplements (if your mouth is sore or dry from the existing medications)

Complications and Risks

Symptoms that can arise from this procedure include chest pain, a drop in blood pressure, fever, chills, flushing, headaches, hives, nausea, pain, shortness of breath or a funny taste in the mouth.

Additionally, some complications caused by this procedure are anaemia, graft failure, Graft v Host Disease (GvHD), infections, early menopause, delayed growth in children, inflammation, etc.