Bone Marrow Harvesting

What you should know

• Bone marrow harvesting (BMH) is a procedure to remove bone marrow from a bone. Bone marrow is soft, spongy tissue inside your bones. It contains many kinds of blood cells, such as stem cells. Stem cells are able to become other cells, such as white or red blood cells. White blood cells help your body fight infection caused by germs called bacteria. Red blood cells bring oxygen to all parts of your body. Your bone marrow may be put back inside of you or put into someone else, such as a family member or stranger. This is called a bone marrow transplant.
  
  
• Your blood will be checked to make sure that it matches the person who is getting your marrow. You will also have other blood tests to check that you are healthy enough for the procedure. Bone marrow is usually removed from your hipbones or your sternum (chest bone) through a needle. BMH and a bone marrow transplant may help you or someone else make healthier blood cells. New bone marrow may help treat people with cancer, such as leukemia (cancer of the blood). It also may help people make more red blood cells. Healthier white blood cells may help people fight infection and be sick less often.

Care Agreement

You have the right to help plan your care. Learn about your health condition and how it may be treated. Discuss treatment options with your caregivers to decide what care you want to receive. You always have the right to refuse treatment.

Risks

• You may need to have this procedure more than once. A needle may break inside of you during the BMH. After the BMH, you may feel more tired than usual. You may feel sick to your stomach or vomit (throw up). Your blood pressure may get low and you may feel dizzy. You may have a rash, bruising, infection, or numbness near the sites where the harvests are made. You may have trouble concentrating and it may be hard for you to sleep. Your body may feel stiff or limp and you may have trouble walking.
  
  
• You may have severe (very bad) pain in your hips, back, chest bone, and legs. You may lose too much blood and need a blood transfusion. Some of your blood vessels may become swollen. Bone tissue or air may travel through your body and block blood vessels in your heart, lungs, and brain. This could cause a heart attack, breathing problems, or a stroke and you could die. If you have cancer, it can get worse without BMH. It may be hard for your body to recover from other cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy. If you do not have the procedure, the person who needs your stem cells may get sicker or die. Call your caregiver if you have questions or concerns about your procedure, medicine, or care.

Getting Ready

Before your procedure:

• Arrange a ride home: Ask a family member or friend to drive you home after your surgery or procedure. Do not drive yourself home.
  
  
• Ask your caregiver if you need to stop using aspirin or any other prescribed or over-the-counter medicine before your procedure or surgery.
  
  
• Bring your medicine bottles or a list of your medicines when you see your caregiver. Tell your caregiver if you are allergic to any medicine. Tell your caregiver if you use any herbs, food supplements, or over-the-counter medicine.
  
  
• Your caregiver will give you a physical exam and ask you about your health history. He may ask you about any surgeries you have had in the past. Tell him if you have allergies or other health problems, such as diabetes (high blood sugar) or high blood pressure. You may meet other caregivers that will help harvest your bone marrow.
  
  
• Your caregiver will do blood tests to check the type of blood that you have. Your blood will be also tested to check the number of different types of cells in your blood. Tests will be done to check for certain problems with your blood, such as HIV/AIDS. Your caregiver may do blood tests to check the health of organs, such as your liver or kidneys. Your caregiver may do imaging tests, such as an x-ray and electrocardiogram (ECG). Ask your caregiver for more information about tests that you may need. Write down the date, time, and location of each test.
  
  
• If you are female, your caregiver may give you a blood or urine test to check if you are pregnant. Tell your caregiver if you think or know that you are pregnant.
  
  
• Blood donation:
  
  
  • You may donate some of your blood a week or more before your surgery. This is called autologous blood donation. This blood will be stored in a blood bank and held for you. After the bone marrow harvesting, this blood will be put back into your body to replace what was taken out. You may be given iron medicine after your caregivers get blood from you. This may be given as a shot into your skin.
    
    
  • If you do not donate your own blood, you may need blood from someone else who has donated it. Some people are worried about getting AIDS, hepatitis, or the West Nile virus from a blood transfusion. The risk of this happening is very low. Blood banks test all donated blood for AIDS, hepatitis, and the West Nile virus.

The day of your procedure:

• Write down the correct date, time, and location of your procedure.
  
  
• You or a close family member will be asked to sign a legal document called a consent form. It gives caregivers permission to do the procedure or surgery. It also explains the problems that may happen, and your choices. Make sure all your questions are answered before you sign this form.
  
  
• Caregivers may insert an intravenous tube (IV) into your vein. A vein in the arm is usually chosen. Through the IV tube, you may be given liquids and medicine.
  
  
• An anesthesiologist may talk to you before your surgery. This caregiver may give you medicine to make you sleepy before your procedure or surgery. Tell your caregiver if you or anyone in your family has had a problem using anesthesia in the past.

Treatment

What will happen:

• You will be moved to the room where your surgery will be done and put on a special table. You will receive anesthesia medicine to keep you comfortable during the procedure. You will be placed on your stomach or back, depending on where the harvesting will be done. The harvesting sites will be washed and sheets will be put over you to keep you clean. Your caregiver will put a needle attached to a syringe (tube) into your hipbone or chest bone. Your bone marrow is suctioned (pulled through) the needle into the syringe and then placed into a collection bag.
  
  
• Your caregiver may need to move the needle to another part of your bone to get more marrow. Your caregiver may turn you over to get marrow from the other side of your body. Bandages may be put on the sites where the harvests are made. If your caregiver decides that you need more blood, you will have a blood transfusion.

After your procedure:

• You will be taken to a room where you can rest until you are fully awake. Caregivers will watch you closely for any problems. Do not get out of bed until your caregiver says it is okay. You may be allowed to go home or taken to your room after your caregiver says it is okay.
  
  
• Your caregiver may put your harvested bone marrow through mesh cloth to remove bits of fat, blood clots, and bone. If you have cancer, the bone marrow may be treated with radiation or chemotherapy to kill any cancer cells. Your bone marrow may be transplanted into someone else right away. It also may be frozen so that it may be used later by yourself or someone else.

Waiting area:

This is an area where your family and friends can wait until you are able to have visitors. Ask your visitors to provide a way to reach them if they leave the waiting area.

Contact a caregiver if

• You cannot make it to your procedure on time.
  
  
• You have a fever.
  
  
• You have an infection or sore where the bone marrow harvest will be done.

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The above information is an educational aid only. It is not intended as medical advice for individual conditions or treatments. Talk to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist before following any medical regimen to see if it is safe and effective for you.

Learn more about Bone Marrow Harvesting (Precare)