Stem cells produce red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. In some cases, stem cells in your bone marrow may not be functioning well or need to be destroyed to help treat a disease. If this happens, you will need new stem cells.
During this procedure, healthy stem cells are taken from a donor's:
The stem cells will be injected into your vein. The new cells travel through the bloodstream to your bone cavities. It may take about a month for the donor stem cells in the bone marrow to begin to function fully. If the transplant is successful, new bone marrow cells will produce healthy red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets.
Stem cell transplantation may be done using:
This procedure is done if the stem cells in your bone marrow are not functioning or are deficient. This may be caused by:
Complications are rare, but no procedure is completely free of risk. If you are planning to have a stem cell transplant, your doctor will review a list of possible complications, which may include:
Possible complications for the donor include:
Stem cell transplant is usually avoided if you have:
Be sure to discuss the risks with your doctor before the transplant.
The donor will be carefully tested to check for diseases. Both you and the donor will be tested to ensure that your tissues are compatible. In order for the transplant to be successful, certain markers, called HLS types, on the blood cells and bone marrow cells must match.
As the recipient, you will be given medicines to suppress your immune system. This is to prevent your body from rejecting the donor stem cells. In the weeks prior to the transplant, you may have to have:
This process is called "conditioning." It will rid the body of diseased cells and clear the bone marrow cavities for the new bone marrow.
If the stem cells will be from the donor's bone marrow (BMT), the doctor will clean an area of the donor's hip. A hollow needle and syringe will be used to remove the bone marrow. The doctor will make several small punctures. This is to harvest enough bone marrow for the transplant (1-2 quarts). Lastly, the wounds will be covered with bandages.
If the stem cells will be from the donor's blood (PBSC), the doctor will stick a needle in the donor's large vein or veins in the arms. A machine will receive blood from the vein. This machine will spin the blood so that the stem cells are concentrated. The rest of the blood will be given back to the donor. The doctor will cover the puncture wounds with bandages. This procedure may require more than one blood donation. The donor may also be required to take pills that cause more stem cells from the bone marrow to go into the blood.
The donated stem cells will be filtered. Next, the doctor will administer the cells through a small, flexible tube, called a catheter, into one of your large veins.
The donor will recover quickly. You, the recipient, will need to be placed in isolation. This is to avoid infection until the new stem cells in the bone marrow begin to produce infection-fighting cells.
The donor may receive:
While you are recovering at the hospital, you may receive the following care:
After you leave the hospital, contact your doctor if any of the following occurs:
In case of an emergency, call 911.
CANADIAN RESOURCES:
Canadian Association of Transplantation
http://www.transplant.ca/
Canadian Blood Services
http://www.bloodservices.ca/
References:
Berkow R. The Merck Manual of Medical Information. New York, NY: Pocket; 2000.
Bone marrow transplantation and peripheral blood stem cell transplantation . National Cancer Institute website. Available at: http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Therapy/bone-marrow-transplant. Updated October 2008. Accessed July 21, 2009.
Last reviewed October 2009 by Igor Puzanov, MD
Please be aware that this information is provided to supplement the care provided by your physician. It is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. CALL YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IMMEDIATELY IF YOU THINK YOU MAY HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
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