Preparation
According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, patients need to receive an extensive physical examination before a bone marrow transplant can be administered. Blood tests need to be done to get a sense of the body's overall health as well as to look for the presence of certain viruses (such as herpes and HIV) that could cause a severe infection after the blood transfusion. Doctors will also order a chest X-ray and a CT scan to assess the health of the lungs and heart, as well as to look for any tumors that could complicate the transplant process. A dental exam may also be necessary because dental problems can cause infections elsewhere in the body. Because the immune system is weak after a bone marrow transplant, it is important to make sure the patient is as healthy as possible and free of any infections.
Ablation and Transplantation
According to Medline, most patients receive ablative therapy just before the transplant. Ablation therapy involves the administration of high doses of radiation or chemotherapy. It is done to kill off the bone marrow cells currently alive in the patient, which removes any diseased cells that may be present in the bones and gives the transplanted cells room to take root and grow. After ablative therapy the patient will get the bone marrow transplant stem cells injected via a central venous catheter, which is a device that allows the new cells to be immediately put into the body's circulation. These stem cells will then automatically migrate to the bone marrow and begin to grow there. The transfusion of these stem cells typically takes several hours.
Recovery
Typically it takes months for the body to fully recover from a bone marrow transplant. This is because it takes a long time for the newly transplanted cells to migrate to the bones and repopulate the bone marrow with healthy stem cells. After the bone marrow has become repopulated, the cells will then need to make red and white blood cells. Initially the patient will have to stay in the hospital to help prevent infection and to make sure that the transplant is working properly to restore the patient's blood cells. Once the patient is released from the hospital, frequent checkups and follow-up visits are necessary to monitor the patient's progress and to make sure that no infections are developing.
