Is there a difference between a bone marrow transplant and blood stem cell transplant?
Yes…and no. As a result of new technologies, the term “bone marrow transplant” is in part a misnomer. In earlier years marrow had be extracted from a donor’s marrow. Today at leading cancer centers like Memorial Sloan Kettering, the collecting process rarely occurs this way. A donor is simply connected to a machine through an IV that separates and harvests the blood stem cells from the donor’s blood before the blood returns to the donor through a second IV. Instead of being tethered to a machine for a few hours, some folks still prefer direct marrow collection—where medical technology has also improved. Following anesthesia, marrow—-which continually replenishes every 4-6 weeks—is withdrawn using fine hollow needles in the hip. A sore bottom may result for a few days. In short, whatever the brief discomfort of whichever method that’s used—it’s nothing compared to the virtue and humanity of potentially saving a life. Q16: Can I take my name off the donor registry at any time? A: Yes
Yes…and no. As a result of new technologies, the term “bone marrow transplant” is in part a misnomer. In earlier years marrow had be extracted from a donor’s marrow. Today at leading cancer centers like Memorial Sloan Kettering, the collecting process rarely occurs this way. A donor is simply connected to a machine through an IV that separates and harvests the blood stem cells from the donor’s blood before the blood returns to the donor through a second IV. Instead of being tethered to a machine for a few hours, some folks still prefer direct marrow collection—where medical technology has also improved. Following anesthesia, marrow—-which continually replenishes every 4-6 weeks—is withdrawn using fine hollow needles in the pelvis. A sore bottom may result for a few days. In short, whatever the brief discomfort of whichever method that’s used—it’s nothing compared to the virtue and humanity of potentially saving a life.
Yes… and no. As a result of new technologies, the term “bone marrow transplant” is in part a misnomer. In earlier years marrow had be extracted from a donor’s marrow. Today at leading cancer centers like Memorial Sloan Kettering, the collecting process rarely occurs this way. A donor is simply connected to a machine through an IV that separates and harvests the blood stem cells from the donor’s blood before the blood returns to the donor through a second IV. Instead of being tethered to a machine for a few hours, some folks still prefer direct marrow collection – where medical technology has also improved. Following anesthesia, marrow – which continually replenishes every 4-6 weeks – is withdrawn using fine hollow needles in the hip. A sore bottom may result for a few days. In short, whatever the brief discomfort of whichever method that’s usedit’s nothing compared to the virtue and humanity of potentially saving a life.
Yes…and no. As a result of new technologies, the term “bone marrow transplant” is in part a misnomer. In earlier years marrow had be extracted from a donor’s marrow. Today at leading cancer centers like Memorial Sloan Kettering, the collecting process rarely occurs this way. A donor is simply connected to a machine through an IV that separates and harvests the blood stem cells from the donor’s blood before the blood returns to the donor through a second IV. Instead of being tethered to a machine for a few hours, some folks still prefer direct marrow collection—where medical technology has also improved. Following anesthesia, marrow—-which continually replenishes every 4-6 weeks—is withdrawn using fine hollow needles in the hip. A sore bottom may result for a few days. In short, whatever the brief discomfort of whichever method that’s used—it’s nothing compared to the virtue and humanity of potentially saving a life.
