If you are keen on knowing more about bone marrow transplant procedures and types, then you are in the right place. We will talk about bone marrow transplant in brief and also look at the types of bone marrow transplant. This will certainly give the required information to the readers and help them to take a decision based on facts and truths rather than being driven by opinions and hearsays. To begin with let us have a brief idea about bone marrow and what function does it have. Bone marrow is a spongy and soft tissue that stays in the hollow of our bones. It is the powerhouse where red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets and other such blood related things are produced. When the bone marrow is damaged or destroyed completely, it leads to a situation where there is complete stoppage of production of RBC, WBC and platelets. In some cases, the production is highly inadequate. This is because the bone marrow match registry might have been damaged by certain types of blood cancers, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy and few others.
Major types of BMT
There are basically two major types of bone marrow transplants or BMT. The doctors will decide on the type of transplant that a patient will require.
Autologous transplants: The autologous transplant is a process where the stem cells of the patients are used for transplantation. It is a process where the cells from the patients are harvested before the beginning of a therapy that could be damaging. These treatments could include radiation or chemotherapy. Once the treatment is done, the same cells are returned to the body. This prevents the precious stem cells from getting damaged during such harsh treatments.
Allogenic transplants: This is a treatment where the stem cells of donors are used. The donor should be a close relative and there should be genetic match. A compatible relative could be the best choice. However, genetic matches can also be found from donor registries. This transplant method is the best option when the bone marrow cells have been damaged beyond repair. But this comes with a higher risk of complications and infections and this include GVHD. The patients may have to be put on mediations that will suppress the immune system so that the new cells are not attacked by the body. This can make you susceptible to infection and illness. The success of this treatment would depend on how perfectly the donor cells can match that of yours.
It Takes Time
There are many tests that should be done before the doctors are able to identify the type of bone marrow that your body will be able to accept. The whole process of transplantation could take around a week or even more. You must have the right hospital where this can be done. The insurance coverage and other such preparations must be complete. Children and pets should be taken care of and you must be ready to be off from work on medical grounds during the transplantation period. As it is quite obvious that your immune system would be weakened, you must insist that you should be put in a quarantined ward so that the risk of infection is reduced as much as possible
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Gift of Life Marrow Registry Address: 800 Yamato Rd suite 101 Boca Raton, FL Phone: (800) 962-7769