Bone Marrow Transplant Center

Among the trusted institutions, Biruni Hospital provides bone marrow transplant services with a focus on clinical excellence, patient safety, and personalized care.

What is Bone Marrow Transplantation?

Bone marrow transplantation is a medical procedure used to replace damaged or diseased bone marrow with healthy stem cells. These stem cells help your body produce new blood cells and restore its immune function. 

This procedure is often used to treat cancers like

• Leukemia 
• Lymphoma
• Aplastic anemia.

What are the types of bone marrow transplantation?

Autologous Transplant

This procedure uses the patient’s own stem cells, collected before high-dose chemotherapy or radiation. 

Common in:

• Multiple myeloma.
• Lymphoma.
• Certain solid tumors. 

It avoids immune rejection but carries a risk of reintroducing diseased cells.

The procedure steps

• The doctor will use specialized medication to mobilize your stem cells.
• These cells will be collected using an apheresis technique; after that, they will be frozen and stored. This procedure is called cryopreservation.
• After that, the doctor will administer a high-dose of chemo and radiation, and then they will reinfuse your stem cells
• Cells engraft and begin producing blood cells.

Allogeneic Transplant

This technique uses stem cells from a donor (related or unrelated); it treats cancers and blood disorders by not only replacing marrow but also using the donor’s immune cells to fight disease.

The procedure steps

• The donor is matched through tissue typing.
• After the choosing, the doctor will collect the stem cells from them.
• The patient undergoes conditioning therapy.
• Stem cells infused into the patient
• Engraftment monitored (usually 2–3 weeks)
• Immunosuppressive drugs given to prevent rejection
• Long-term follow-up for graft-versus-host disease (GVHD)

Haploidentical Transplant

Uses stem cells from a half-matched donor, often a parent, child, or sibling. Useful when a full match is unavailable, made safer by modern immune suppression protocols.

Procedure:

• Half-match identified among family members
• Intensive conditioning given
• Donor cells infused
• Special immune-modulating drugs used to prevent GVHD
• Close monitoring for infections and rejection

Cord Blood Transplant

This procedure uses stem cells from donated umbilical cord blood, the cord cells are immature, reducing rejection risks, but they take longer to engraft and are typically used in children or smaller adults.

Procedure:

• The cord blood unit will be selected from a public bank.
• Thawed and prepared for infusion
• The patient receives conditioning treatment.
• Cord blood stem cells infused
• Engraftment takes 3–5 weeks
• Supportive care includes transfusions, antibiotics, and growth factors.

The preparations before undergoing a bone marrow transplant procedure

Getting ready for a bone marrow transplant involves several important steps to ensure your body is in the best possible condition for a successful outcome.

1- Meeting with Your Doctor
Your doctor will order blood tests and scans to get a clear picture of your overall health; they’ll also take a close look at how well your heart and lungs are working to make sure your body is ready for the transplant.

2- Collecting Stem Cells
Next comes planning for stem cells; these may be collected from you or from a donor, depending on your situation. This is a key part of the process, since these cells are what will help rebuild your bone marrow after treatment.

3- Preparing Your Body
You’ll receive chemotherapy, radiation, or both to destroy any remaining disease and lower your immune response; this helps your body accept the new stem cells.

4- Starting Medications
You’ll also start taking medications to help prevent infections and reduce the risk of complications while your immune system is low. These are usually antibiotics and antivirals.

5- Placing a Central Line
Finally, a central line will be placed in a large vein, usually in your chest; this will make it easier to get medications, fluids, and the stem cells during the transplant.

The post-operative Healing Period after a Bone marrow procedure

The post-operative period following a bone marrow transplant is divided into two main phases:

• The short-term recovery, which takes place during the initial weeks.
• The long-term recovery, which can span months to years. 

Each phase comes with its own set of care requirements and monitoring protocols to ensure the success of the transplant and the patient's safe return to daily life.

The short-term healing period

• Engraftment monitoring: The doctor will perform daily blood tests to check if your white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets are being produced by your transplanted stem cells.
• Infection control: During the first days after your procedure, you will be in a sterile environment, often in isolation while receiving antibiotics, antivirals, and antifungal medications.
• Side Effect Management: The medical staff will manage all of the symptoms, such as nausea, diarrhea, mouth sores, and fatigue.
• Nutritional Support: For nutrition you will receive an IV or specially managed diets to maintain your strength and avoid gastrointestinal complications.

The long-term healing period

• Checking your immune system: Your immune system will stay weak for several months, so you’ll need to avoid crowds and any type of raw foods. 
• Watching for GVHD: If you had a donor transplant, the medical team will keep an eye out for signs of graft-versus-host disease, which can affect your skin, liver, or digestive system.
• Regular Checkups: You’ll keep seeing your doctor for blood tests and check-ins to track your progress and catch any issues early.
• Easing Back Into Life: Getting back to work, exercising, and maintaining a social life will happen slowly; with time you will be able to rebuild your strength day by day.
• Mental Health Matters: It’s normal to feel anxious, tired, or down during recovery; support from a therapist, loved ones, or a support group can really help.

A bone marrow transplant is a complex yet life-saving procedure that offers renewed hope for patients with serious blood and immune disorders. 

While the journey involves intensive preparation, careful execution, and long-term recovery, advancements in transplant medicine have made outcomes increasingly successful.