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What Is the Procedure for Donating Bone Marrow?

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Center, over 30,000 people each year discover that they have a life-threatening blood disease such as leukemia. For many of these patients, a bone marrow donation is their only hope for survival. The National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) maintains a database of people who have registered to become potential bone marrow donors.

  1. Definitions

    • Bone marrow is the spongy substance that resides within bones and produces cells circulating in your blood. According to the "New World Encyclopedia," bone marrow contains stem cells that become red and white blood cells. Red blood cells carry oxygen to distribute to cells, whereas white blood cells mount immune responses against harmful invasions.

    Need for Bone Marrow

    • People who need bone marrow, such as those suffering from a type of blood cancer called leukemia, have defective marrow that cannot make healthy or sufficient blood cells. Additionally, individuals who have undergone certain cancer treatments that destroy healthy stem cells in bone marrow will require bone marrow transplants.

    Registration

    • The NMDP states that any relatively healthy individual between the ages of 18 and 60 can donate bone marrow. Potential donors complete a consent form and short questionnaire. Registrants must pay for and submit to a test of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) type. The NMDP Registry files the results and contacts you if a patient's HLA matches yours. The Registry always needs donors, especially those of minorities.

    Procedure

    • A doctor takes marrow from your pelvic bones during the procedure.

      If the Registry contacts you regarding a potential match between you and a patient, you will need to go to an NMDP-approved hospital for the procedure. Daily injections of a drug will increase blood-forming cells in your bloodstream. A doctor will use a hollow needle to withdraw marrow from your pelvic bones. You then may receive a transfusion of your own blood that you had donated previously.

    Risks

    • After the procedure, you may feel a little soreness in your lower back for a few days. According to the NIH Clinical Center, your bone marrow should renew itself completely within four to six weeks.

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