A bone marrow transplant is a procedure that infuses healthy blood-forming stem cells into your body to replace your damaged or diseased bone marrow. You might need a bone marrow transplant if your bone marrow stops working and does not produce enough healthy blood cells.
Be prepared to undergo a series of tests and procedures to assess your health.
For a transplant using your own stem cells (autologous transplant), you’ll undergo a procedure called apheresis. You may need to stay in the hospital for up to 3 weeks.
If the stem cells come from another person, the transplant is called allogeneic and in this case you will need to stay in the hospital for 4 weeks or longer.
Tell your doctors all the medicines, vitamins, supplements, and herbal remedies you take. He or she will tell you if you should stop taking these medicines before your procedure.
After your transplant procedure –
You will need to be under close medical observation as you may experience infections or other complications
After your bone marrow transplant, your doctor may prescribe other medications to minimize the development of graft-versus-host disease
You are also expected to follow a healthy lifestyle with proper diet and regular exercise
For the body to completely heal after surgery, it may take weeks or even months.
