Bone Marrow Transplant (Stem Cell Transplant)

No, this is a very common misconception in society. The collected stem cells are given to the patient simply intravenously (through a catheter), just like giving a normal blood transfusion or serum. Smart stem cells circulate through the bloodstream, autonomously go directly into the marrow cavities inside the bones, and settle there (engraftment process). There is no surgery with a scalpel involved.

In an autologous transplant; before the patient receives heavy chemotherapy, their own clean stem cells are collected by a machine and frozen, and when the treatment is finished, they are given back to the patient so that the bone marrow does not collapse (they save themselves). In an allogeneic transplant, the patient's marrow is cancerous; stem cells taken from a relative whose tissue group (HLA) matches or from a healthy foreign donor found from an international bone marrow bank (TÜRKÖK) are used.

The first 2 to 4 weeks after the transplant are critical and challenging. Because the old marrow has been reset and the new stem cells have not yet started producing blood cells, the patient's immune system is at zero. During this period, because the patient could lose their life even from a simple flu, they live in sterile (HEPA filtered) rooms completely isolated from the outside world.

Being a donor today is extremely easy and safe. 90% of stem cells are collected by a method called "Apheresis" (blood is drawn from one arm, passed through a machine, and given back from the other arm) while sitting for about 3-4 hours. In most cases, there is no need for surgery, anesthesia, or drilling into the bone.