Bone marrow transplant

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Bone marrow aspiration

Bone marrow from hip

Bone-marrow transplant - series

Formed elements of blood

Transplant - bone marrow

Ideally, bone marrow transplant lengthens the life of a patient who would otherwise die. Relatively normal activities can be resumed as soon as the patient feels well enough, and after consulting with the doctor.

Other significant problems with a bone marrow transplant are those of all major organ transplants -- the finding of a donor, and the cost. The donor is frequently a sibling with matching tissue. The more siblings the patient has, the more chances there are of finding a matching donor.

The hospitalization period is from 4 - 6 weeks, during which time the patient is isolated and under strict monitoring because of the increased risk of infection. The patient will require attentive follow-up care for 2 - 3 months after discharge from the hospital. It may take 6 months to a year for the immune system to fully recover from this procedure.

Review Date: 10/30/2006
Reviewed By: William Matsui, MD, Assistant Professor of Oncology, Division of Hematologic Malignancies, The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, MD. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.