![DONATING BONE MARROW... A Few Day's Stay in Hospital](images/ti_7.gif)
7DPreliminary check up
About one month before the scheduled bone marrow extraction, the donor has a complete checkup by an internist and an anesthesiologist at the hospital to ensure that the extraction will be as safe as possible.
8DAutologous blood collection for transfusion
To prevent anemia resulting from the bone marrow extraction, a certain amount of the donor's blood is taken and stored.
This will be transfused back to the donor him/her-self at the time of extraction.
9D4`5 day's hospitalization to donate your marrow
One or two days before the bone marrow extraction, the donor enters the hospital to ensure he or she is in good health.
The doctor gives further explanations.
In general, the donor stays in the hospital for about four days.
Marrow extraction from the hip bones*
The donor lies face down in the operating room.
Extraction is done by inserting a number of special needles into parts of the pelvis (20`30 places on the right and left iliac bones which form the pelvis).
A total of 500`1000ml of marrow is taken within 1`3 hours.
* No insertion into the spinal cord (the backbone)
Extraction under anesthesia
Extraction is always done under general anesthesia and no pain is felt.
To ensure the safety of the donor, the Japan Marrow Donor Foundation only uses hospitals with experienced doctors and anesthesiologists.
10DBack home a few days after marrow extraction
The donor experiences only dull pain after the extraction.
The pain soon subsides and the donor can generally leave the hospital in two days and go back to a regular lifestyle.
The coordinator will visit the donor at the hospital to check on the pain and the donor's general well-being.
Further checkup
About ten days after leaving the hospital, the donor will be given a physical examination and the coordinator will stay in contact with the donor to ensure a complete recovery.
Usually, the donor's health is not affected and he or she recovers quickly, but there is still a remote chance that the donor's health will be impaired in some way.
Pain |
Pain depends very much on the individual.
After coming out of the anesthesia, the donor might feel pain at the points of extraction.
In most cases, the pain can be reduced by
medication and it subsides within a day, but
sometimes it can last for a few weeks.
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Fever |
Sometimes the donor may develop a fever of 37`38, sore throat, nausea and/or malaise.
However, these symptoms generally disappear in a day or two. |
Needle marks |
Generally the marks left by the needles disappear in 3`6 month.
Some donors, however, may retain slight marks on the skin.
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