What is the purpose of a Bone Marrow Biopsy?
Your bone marrow contains stem cells or “parent” cells that make blood cells. Once the blood cells mature they exit from the marrow space into the blood. Your doctor needs to examine how your blood cells are being formed, the number and type of cells, the amount of iron present, or if there are any signs of tumor or infection. A sample of blood cannot reveal all aspects of this process, so it is needed to take a sample from your bone marrow. How long will the procedure take? It will take about 20 minutes. If you receive medication that makes you sleepy, you will need 50-60 minutes for recovery. Will I have to make any special preparations? • If you are at risk for bleeding, you may receive a platelet transfusion before the procedure. • You cannot eat or drink for 6 hours before the biopsy. • Plan to have someone with you to drive you home, as a medicine that makes you sleepy is often used. Where will the sample be taken? The marrow sample is usually taken from the back hipbone but can
