Q Hello doctor, what is this bone marrow transplant? Who can undergo this? What are the risks involved? Prognosis and recovery from the procedure?
A bone marrow transplant delivers healthy bone marrow stem cells into the patient. It replaces bone marrow that is either not working properly or has been destroyed by chemotherapy or radiation. Bone marrow or stem cell transplant may be recommended for:nCertain cancers, such as leukemia, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma. Illnesses where the bone marrow does not produce the right kind of or enough cells. Some of these are: Sickle cell anemia, Aplastic anemia, Thalassemia and Severe immunodeficiency syndromes. Rescue transplant to replace bone marrow, when treatment for cancer has destroyed a patients bone marrow. Risks involved are Infections, Bleeding, Anemia, Diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting, Severe mucositis, Damage to the kidneys, liver, lungs, and heart, Graft failure, which means that the new cells do not settle into the body and start producing stem cells and Graft versus host disease: This is when your donors cells attack your own body. Possible results of a bone marrow transplant are complete cure of the illness being treated, a partial cure, or death. Death may be caused by complications of the bone marrow transplant or because the transplant did not work to treat the illness.nIf the transplant works, you can go resume your normal activities as soon as you feel well enough. Most times it takes up to 12 months to recover fully.