Bone Marrow Transplant
A bone marrow transplant is a procedure in which diseased stem-cells found in the bone marrow are replaced by healthy cells. The healthy stem cells are either taken from the same person on whom the bone marrow transplant surgery will be conducted, or from a different person who may act as the donor.
Today, we at MyMedTrip.com shall brief you on bone marrow transplant surgery and bone marrow transplant cost in India. We will also give you some information on India’s bone marrow transplant success rates alongside sharing with you the details on what bone marrow is, what causes its disease, its symptoms, and the various treatment methods.
| Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
| Bone marrow transplant Cost in India | 17, 500 USD |
| Discount | 10% on the above quoted price (final hospital’s bill) ONLY APPLICABLE ONLY FOR MyMedTrip.com patients Click here for exceptions and terms. |
| Number of days at hospital (Estimated) | 30-90 days |
| Number of days in India outside hospital (Estimated) | 100 days |
| Treatment’s Success Rate | Around 70-90% |
| Tests required to help assess the treatment | Biopsy, blood tests, and overall organ test (kidney function, liver function, etc) cell test. |
What is covered in the above mentioned cost for surgery?
This price includes surgery cost, doctor’s fee, standard prescribed tests and all standard expenses required at the hospital.
About bone marrow transplant surgery
A bone marrow transplant is the procedure in which unhealthy stem cells are replaced with healthy one. Also known as peripheral stem cell transplant, cord blood transplant, or stem cell transplant, this treatment is given to people suffering from various kinds of cancer.
Bone marrow
Bone marrow comprises of sponge-like tissues. These tissues contain hematopoietic stem cells which are responsible for the production of blood cells in the body. The body’s bone marrow is also responsible for storing these red blood cells.
A diseased bone marrow stops the production of these red blood cells. Including this, it also hampers the production of white blood cells and platelets.
Causes of bone marrow failure
A diseased bone marrow generally means that the stem cells have stopped working. This leads to bone marrow failure. It means that, as a result, there is no production of red blood cells, which are responsible for carrying oxygen within the body.
The production of white blood cells are also affected, which are responsible for the body’s immune system. Similarly, the platelets also stop working, which are responsible for forming blood clots. There are several medical conditions that lead to bone marrow failure. Some of them are discussed below.
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML)
This is a type of blood cancer that originates with the white blood cells. This affects the bone marrow where unhealthy production of stem cells leads to more unhealthy stem cells, instead of healthy stem cells. This in turn affects the production of healthy red and white blood cells, including the formation of platelets.
Lymphomas
This is another type of blood cancer which originates in the immune system of the body. In this case, the cancer forming cells travel into the bone marrow, as in the case of leukemia, and affect stem cells production, which in turn affects healthy cell production.
Severe aplastic anemia (bone marrow disease)
This is a very rare disorder of the bone marrow. It occurs when a compromised immune system begins to disturb the growth of stem cells. There are other causes such as exposure to certain chemicals found in pesticides and insecticides, medications used in the treatment of arthritis, viruses found in hepatitis and HIV, or chemotherapy medications.
Immunodeficiency disorders
Immunodeficiency disorders occur when the body has suffered through prolonged illness such as cancer or diabetes. In the case of diabetes, the high level of sugar in the blood hampers the production of white blood cells and this leads to an immunodeficiency disorder. After having developed this disorder, the bone marrow is unable to produce normal white blood cells.
Sickle cell disease
This is a genetically inherited condition in which the red blood cells are not in their usual round form. They instead look a little elongated and appear like a sickle. The roundness of the red blood cells allows them to move about throughout the body.
The distorted ‘sickle’ shape in sickle cell disease is not able to move about freely, especially through smaller blood vessels. In this case, the only cure is a bone marrow transplant which corrects this shape by producing healthy rounded red blood cells.
Before bone marrow transplant
There are various methods of bone marrow transplant and it occurs through four processes. There is one method known as autologous transplant in which the donor is the patient. Another method is allogenic transplant in which there is another donor for the patient.
The four process for bone marrow transplant involve:-
- Collecting the stem cells.
- Pre-transplant treatment.
- Infusing the transplanted stem cells.
- Recovering from bone marrow transplant.
Prior to the commencement of this process, a transplant team is formulated. The purpose of this is to give the patient the best possible treatment and evaluate the patient for bone marrow transplant.
Forming the transplant team
When patients suffering from a medical condition are suggested a bone marrow transplant, a transplant team is formed first. This team has doctors from different arenas. Some of them include:-
- Oncologist
- Immunologist
- Hematology specialist
- Bone marrow transplant specialist
- Respiratory therapist
- Psychologist
- Dietician
- Dermatologist
- Gastroenterologist
- Physiotherapist
There may be more doctors from other arenas. The formation of a transplant team is dependent entirely on the presented medical condition that has led to bone marrow failure.
Evaluating the patient for the bone marrow transplant
This team of specialist doctors ultimately decide if the patient is a good candidate for bone marrow transplant. Before deciding, the team takes into consideration various aspects of the patient’s life like:-
- The patient’s overall physical health.
- The patient’s age.
- The degree of disease.
- The availability of a donor.
Alongside this, the transplant team also asks the patient for their opinion and what they would prefer as a treatment. This helps understand the patient’s inhibitions, tolerance towards certain medicines, and the expected results.
Tests required for bone marrow transplant
Prior to the transplant procedure, the patient will need to undergo some tests before the bone marrow transplant. Some of them are:-
- Preoperative blood tests
- Kidney function test
- Liver function test
- Heart function test
- Lungs function test
Bone marrow transplant process
Collecting the stem cells
There are two places from which stem cells are collected. It can be taken from the bloodstream (peripheral system) or the bone marrow.
If the stem cells are to be collected from the peripheral system, then a machine is attached to the donor. With the help of the attached needle, blood is collected and transferred into the machine.
The machine then separates the stem cells from the blood. This blood travels back to the donor via another needle which is attached to a different area.
If the stem cells are to be collected from the bone marrow itself, then the hip and the sternum are perfect areas. A needle will be inserted at the bone marrow’s center of these areas.
Anesthesia is administered prior to its commencement since this procedure is painful. Upon waking up, the donor may experience some amount of pain.
Pre-transplant treatment
Ideally before the transplantation begins, the patient will be prepared from a week before. These will involve some suggestions made by the transplant team which he/she must follow. Alongside this, if the patient is his/her own donor then medications to prepare healthy production of stem cells will be given. Other medicines are also prescribed.
Infusing the transplanted stem cells
On the day of transplant, an IV line and a catheter will be attached to the patient and their vital organs will be monitored.
Through the catheter, the stem cells are infused into the patient’s bloodstream. Each dosage of stem cells takes about thirty minutes and the patient is required to have more than one dosage.
Recovery after bone marrow transplant
In this phase, the team monitors the patient’s response to the treatment. The doctor determines how the cell growth is occurring in the patient.
The patient will be prescribed antibiotics for protection against infection. In this phase, the doctor will also look out for complications which need to be treated immediately.
Complications in bone marrow transplant
The side effects or complications in bone marrow transplant include:-
- Infection or pain.
- Low platelets resulting from poor function of the new bone marrow.
- Low red blood cells resulting from ill functioning of bone marrow.
- Fluid overload resulting from the kidney’s inability to cope with the amount of medicines being administered through the IV.
- Organ damage which may occur from infection or fluid overload.
- Graft failure in which the transplant fails to produce healthy cells.
Aside from these aforementioned complications, one of the most serious complications is graft-versus-host-disease. This occurs when the immune system of the donor in the collected stem cells begins to react with the patient’s body.
In this case, the immune system will attack all of the patient’s organs because it perceives its own body as a threat.. In this case, special medicines need to be given to suppress the donor’s immune system until it begins to accept the host body as its own.
How can MyMedTrip.com help?
If you have decided to travel to India for Bone marrow transplant, you may contact us on our Whatsapp number +91 9818237391 or email us at hi@mymedtrip.com The first consultation arranged by us is free of cost! We also provide visa invitation letters and help in facilitating the medical journey to India.
Throughout the journey, you shall be provided with one of our staff members for proper guidance through linguistic barriers, even though most of the hospitals and doctors we feature are well versed with Arabic, Russian,Bengali, and English.
If you have any further queries or questions related to Bone marrow transplant in India, please do not hesitate to email us at the aforementioned address.
Frequently Asked Questions about Bone marrow transplant
What is bone marrow transplant surgery?
A bone marrow transplant is a procedure in which unhealthy stem cells of the bone marrow are infused with healthy stem cells taken from a donor.
What is bone marrow?
A bone marrow comprises sponge-like tissues consisting of stem cells. These stem cells are responsible for red and white blood cell production, along with the production of platelets.
What causes bone marrow failure?
Several diseases may cause bone marrow failure. They range from various kinds of cancers to genetically inherited diseases.
What can be treated with bone marrow transplant?
Different types of cancers often require bone marrow transplant as its treatment.
What is the overall procedure for bone marrow transplant?
There are four steps to complete a cone marrow transplant. They are, collection of stem cells, pre-transplant treatment, transplant infusion, and recovery.
What tests are required?
Preoperative blood tests and an overall body organ tests are required.
Who decides the candidature for bone marrow transplant?
The transplant team of doctors decide the candidature for the bone marrow transplant. This team comprises doctors from various specialties such as an oncologist, a physiotherapist, a psychologist, etc.
What are the two kinds of bone marrow transplant?
Traditionally, there are two kinds of bone marrow transplant. One is where the donor is the patient (also known as an autologous transplant) and another is where the donor is another person (also known as allogeneic transplant).
How long do I have to stay in India for a bone marrow transplant?
The overall number of days required for you to stay in India for bone marrow transplant is anywhere between 30- 90 days.
IWhat are the complications of a bone marrow transplant?
The various complications of bone marrow transplant include infection, low platelet production, low red blood cell production, organ damage, fluid overload, and graft failure.
What is the worst complication of bone marrow transplant?
The worst complication for bone marrow transplant is when the immune system of the donor in the collected stem cells begins to react with the patient’s body. This is medically known as graft-versus-host-disease. Medications are required to suppress the donor’s immune system until it begins to accept the host’s body as its own. Some other serious complications include graft failure, organ damage, and fluid overload.
