Originally posted by: Mizugori
how do they determine who can donate... im surprised they haven't found a donor yet, does donating marrow have harmful side effects?
Unfortunately it's fairly painful
How are bone marrow stem cells donated?
Donations are made in one of two ways: surgically or peripherally.
The vast majority of unrelated donors go through the surgical procedure, which is considered a minor procedure. Donors who are related to patients often undergo the peripheral method.
If a donor has a stroke history but otherwise is healthy, we would use the surgical procedure because the peripheral procedure involves using a drug that is contraindicated for stroke.
What does the surgical procedure involve?
The week prior to surgery, a donor would give blood to be re-infused during surgery. The surgery itself, which is considered a day procedure, is two hours long.
While under general anesthesia, donors lay on their stomachs and surgeons insert a large hollow needle through the hip bones in the small of the back. There will be two to four puncture sites.
The needle is attached to a syringe that is used to draw blood containing stem cells up through the bone marrow.
How much pain does surgery cause?
The following day you can walk, but you?ll feel like you have a pretty bad bruise in the small of your back for about a week. The older the patient, the more difficult the procedure.
What does a peripheral donation involve?
Once donors pass their physical, they begin a series of injections of a drug called filgrastim (Neupogen®), which causes stem cells to concentrate in the bloodstream. They take two injections for four days.
What are the side effects of Neupogen?
Neupogen can cause:
Headaches
Bone pain
Backaches
Electrolyte imbalances
Fatigue
Some people experience the bone pain to a great degree, and others say they never had the bone pain. We treat it with pain pills and make sure there is someone looking after the donor.
To monitor side effects, the donor is required to stay in Houston seven to 10 days and has clinic visits with lab tests. As soon as donors stop taking injections, side effects start to diminish within 24 hours.
How are stem cells collected peripherally?
During up to three procedures, called apheresis, an intravenous (IV) line is inserted in each arm. A machine circulates blood out of the body from one IV, through the machine, where it is processed, then returns it to the other arm.
Only about 100ccs (half of a soft drink can) are outside the body at any given time.
What are the side effects of apheresis?
People feel cold, but we give them warm blankets. There?s some pain related to the IV. There also might be a drop in blood pressure, but donors lie in bed and their vital signs are monitored.
What care is needed after apheresis?
At the end of each collection, donors return to their home or hotel for the day. The following morning, doctors check the results of the previous day?s collection and check the donor?s blood count and electrolyte levels.
Facebook
Twitter