When we mention severe illnesses such as blood cancer or thalassemia we are likely to hear the trading term bone marrow transplant. This might seem frightening, however, it is a life-saving therapy that enables the children to recover faster and lead normal lives once more. We are going to know what it is, how it operates and who is available to assist you should you require this treatment at some point.
What Is a Bone Marrow Transplant?
The bones within our body contain a special soft area within them known as bone marrow. This is the location of the new blood cells, red blood cells which store oxygen, the white blood cells which combat infections, and the platelets which prevent blood loss.
In some cases, the bone marrow fails to work. This may occur due to cancer or some kind of infection or some blood diseases such as thalassemia and aplastic anemia.
The doctors in such cases insert healthy cells of a donor in place of the damaged bone marrow. This is referred to as bone marrow transplantation or stem cell transplant.
Why Is Bone Marrow Transplant Important for Cancer Treatment?
A bone marrow transplant is used to cure children with diseases such as leukemia or lymphoma. The unhealthy cells in the bone marrow can be destroyed by chemotherapy or radiation although they destroy good ones as well.
So, a bone marrow transplant is used to restore healthy cells after the cancer treatment to rebuild the blood and immune system. This will restore the child and make the body more powerful against infections.
Types of Bone Marrow Transplant
Doctors primarily use bone marrow transplant for cancer are of two types based on the disease and the state of the child:
- Autologous Transplant – In this form, physicians utilize the own healthy stem cells of the patient. The stem cells are removed and frozen before administration of chemotherapy. Once the treatment is done they are returned back to the patient to restore the bone marrow.
- Allogeneic Transplant- In this case the donor of the stem cells is another person- it may be a brother or sister, a parent and in some cases, the donor is an unrelated person with a similar blood type. This transplant is useful in case the bone marrow of the child does not coincide.
In some cases, special versions exist, such as the haploidentical transplant (also known as half-matched family donors), and the cord blood transplant (transplantation of stem cells in umbilical cord blood).
Bone Marrow Transplant Treatment: The Step-by-Step Process
A bone marrow transplant therapy is a process that is both tedious and demanding. Here’s how it usually happens:
- Pre-transplant tests –The physicians examine health, blood type and bone marrow of the child. They also seek an equivalent donor.
- Conditioning – The child is given chemotherapy or radiation to eliminate their unhealthy bone marrow cells.
- Transplant day – The healthy stem cells are transfused to the child as though it is blood transfusion.
- Recovery – The fresh cells are transported to the bone marrow where new blood cells are produced. This is called engraftment.
- Follow-up –The doctors regularly monitor the progress of the child and ensure that they are free of infection or complications.
Bone Marrow Transplant Side Effects
A bone marrow transplant does have side effects as does any large treatment. However, most children heal when given proper care and appropriate drugs.
The side effects of common bone marrow transplant include:
- Fever or tiredness
- Mouth sores
- Nausea or vomiting
- Few weeks poor immune system.
- Graft-versus-host disease (when donor cells wage war on healthy body parts -but is treatable with medicines)
Doctors and nurses pay much attention to each child to ensure that they are safe and recovering.
Bone Marrow Transplant ICD 10 Code
Hospitals and insurance companies have a special identification number of every disease and medical procedure. Doctors employ the bone marrow transplant ICD 10 code to code the procedure and to correctly record it. This is used in medical billing, tracking of treatment and research.
Bone Marrow Transplant in Delhi and Saket
You have found the right place in case you are in need of bone marrow transplant in Saket, South Delhi. India has some of the best hospitals and professionals in Delhi that offer this treatment with utmost care.
Most of the families prefer the services of bone marrow transplant Delhi centers due to the available advanced technology, skilled doctors, and good support structures to the children and their parents.
Saket has one of the best pediatric cancer and bone marrow transplant hospitals.
Meet Dr. Nandini Choudhury Hazarika — Leading Bone Marrow Specialist in India
Among the bone marrow specialists in Saket or bone marrow specialists in India, the name that comes to mind is that of Dr. Nandini Choudhury Hazarika.
Dr. Nandini is a Pediatric Medical Oncologist and Hematologist and has experience of more than 20 years in the treatment of children with blood cancers and bone marrow diseases. She has so far in the past eight years managed to perform more than 150 bone marrow transplants on conditions such as leukemia, lymphoma, thalassemia, aplastic anemia, metabolism and brain tumor disorders.
Patients and her families rely on her to look into their lives because she is kind-hearted, well informed and committed to the health of children.
Dr. Nandini received her training in some of the best institutions in India and visiting places such as Prince Aly Khan Hospital, Mumbai and Duke Medical Center, USA. She also collaborated with some of the major hospitals, such as Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurgaon and Max Healthcare.
Dr. Nandini is reputed to be one of the best bone marrow transplant specialists in children in India due to her calm and extensive experience of doing the same.
Hope, Healing, and a Healthy Future
A bone marrow transplant is not merely a surgical operation, it is a hope ride. Cancer or blood victim children have a chance to enjoy a better and healthier life with professional assistance and treatment provided by physicians such as Dr. Nandini Choudhury Hazarika.
When you or one of your friends are looking to find a bone marrow specialist in Saket or the best bone marrow transplant in Delhi, we can provide you with Dr. Nandini and her team. She can be contacted and consulted, as well as providing treatment and all the support to you throughout your recovery process.