WHAT RISKS ARE THERE FOR BONE MARROW DONORS?
Practically none. As a matter of fact, in our service most donors are not even admitted into the hospital. Most cell harvesting takes place using an apheresis machine, which selectively removes the needed cells from the blood, putting the rest back into the patient. In rare cases, and after the proper evaluations have been made, we will take the donor into the operating room to obtain, via punctures in the hipbone, under general anesthesia, enough cells for the transplant. In these cases there is usually an overnight stay. These cells will restart the production of blood in the patients body. No matter where the cells where obtained from, in a couple of weeks the donor will have the exact amount of stem cells he or she had before donating. Donating stem cells for bone marrow transplantation DOES NOT put the donor at any additional risk for contracting or developing any disease.
