From the Guidelines
A bone marrow transplant is not considered a surgical procedure in the traditional sense. It is a medical procedure that involves infusing healthy blood-forming stem cells into the body to replace damaged or diseased bone marrow. Unlike surgery, it doesn't require incisions, scalpels, or operating rooms. Instead, the transplant is performed similar to a blood transfusion, where stem cells are delivered intravenously through a central venous catheter (a special IV line) into the bloodstream, as described in the study by 1.
The procedure itself is relatively simple from the patient's perspective - they receive the cells through an IV while lying in a hospital bed. However, the preparation before transplant is intensive, typically involving high-dose chemotherapy and possibly radiation therapy to destroy the existing bone marrow and make room for the new stem cells. After infusion, the stem cells travel through the bloodstream to the bone marrow, where they begin to produce new blood cells in a process called engraftment.
Some key points to consider about bone marrow transplants include:
- The source of the transplanted stem cells can be from either a donor's bone marrow or peripheral blood or harvested from the umbilical cord of a newborn infant, as mentioned in the study by 1.
- The type of transplant can be either autologous, where the patient receives their own cells, or allogeneic, where the patient receives cells from a donor, as discussed in the study by 1.
- While the transplant procedure itself is non-surgical, patients may need surgical placement of the central venous catheter before the transplant occurs.
Overall, the goal of a bone marrow transplant is to improve the patient's quality of life and reduce morbidity and mortality by replacing damaged or diseased bone marrow with healthy stem cells.
From the Research
Definition of a Bone Marrow Transplant
A bone marrow transplant is a medical procedure that involves replacing a patient's bone marrow with healthy bone marrow stem cells.
Surgical Procedure Classification
- A bone marrow transplant is not typically considered a surgical procedure in the classical sense, as it does not involve surgery on a specific organ or tissue.
- Instead, it is often classified as a medical procedure or a form of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.
- The procedure typically involves the administration of chemotherapy and/or radiation to prepare the patient's body for the transplant, followed by the infusion of healthy stem cells into the patient's bloodstream.
Types of Bone Marrow Transplants
- There are two main types of bone marrow transplants: allogeneic and autologous.
- Allogeneic transplants involve receiving stem cells from a donor, while autologous transplants involve using the patient's own stem cells 3, 4.
- The choice of transplant type depends on the patient's specific medical condition and other factors, such as the availability of a suitable donor.
Conditioning Regimens
- Conditioning regimens are used to prepare the patient's body for the transplant by suppressing the immune system and eliminating any remaining cancer cells.
- Common conditioning regimens include busulfan and cyclophosphamide (BuCy), as well as fludarabine and busulfan (FluBu) 2, 5, 6.
- The choice of conditioning regimen depends on the patient's specific medical condition and other factors, such as the type of transplant being performed.