A bone marrow transplant is a medical procedure performed to replace bone marrow that has been damaged or destroyed by disease, infection or chemotherapy. This procedure involves transplanting blood stem cells, which travel to the bone marrow where they produce new blood cells and help new marrows to grow.
Bone marrow is the spongy, fatty tissue inside your bones. It creates the following parts of the blood:
· Red blood cells, which carry oxygen and nutrients throughout the body
· White blood cells which fight infection
· Platelets, which are responsible for the formation of clots
Why you may need a Bone Marrow Transplant
Bone marrow transplants are performed when a person’s marrow isn’t functioning properly. Some of the reasons as to why you may need a transplant include:
· Cancers that affect the marrow, such as leukemia, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma
· Bone marrow damage caused due to chemotherapy
· Sickle cell anemia, which is an inherited disorder that causes recurring infections
· Aplastic anemia, which is a disorder in which the marrow stops making new blood cells
· Thalassemia
Complications associated
It increases your risk of experiencing:
· Sudden drop in blood pressure
· Headache
· Nausea
· Pain
· Fever
The above symptoms are not to stay for too long, but a bone marrow transplant can cause certain complications, that include:
· Age
· Overall health
· Type of transplant you’ve received
Types of Bone Marrow Transplant
There are two major types of bone marrow transplants:
Autologous Transplants: This involves the use of a person’s own stem cells. But this type of transplant isn’t always available.
Allogeneic Transplants: This involves the use of cells from a donor. Often, a compatible gene is preferred which in return is responsible for the success of an allogeneic transplant.
No comments:
Post a Comment