How Do Doctors Get Stem Cells From Donor to Patient?
After finding a good donor, doctors collect the stem cells. This may involve collecting stem cells from the donor's hip bone or taking blood from the donor, separating out the stem cells, and returning the blood to the donor's body. Sometimes doctors get the stem cells from a special blood bank where umbilical cord blood is stored (called a cord blood bank).
The next step in the transplantation process is conditioning therapy. The medical team gives the patient high doses of chemotherapy and/or radiation to kill unhealthy cells (like cancer cells) that are causing a person's illness. Sometimes the patient gets other types of medicines that don't kill the cells, but that weaken the immune system instead.
Wiping out unhealthy cells or weakening the immune system might sound scary, but it can actually be helpful. Destroying bone marrow makes room for new stem cells to take hold. And a weak immune system isn't as likely to jump into high gear and attack the new cells. So there's less chance that the new cells will be rejected.
Now it's time for the actual transplant. This is done through an infusion where the stem cells are put in the patient's body through an IV line. After a stem cell infusion, the medical team watches the patient closely to make sure the new stem cells are settling into the bone marrow and beginning to make new blood cells (called engrafting). If another person donated the stem cells, doctors will watch for signs of rejection or graft-versus-host disease.
Engrafting takes an average of 2 weeks, but can be as quick as 1 week or as long as 6 weeks. The medical team gives the patient medicines to promote engrafting and prevent problems like rejection.
How Long Does it Take to Recover?
People who get stem cell transplants have a high risk of infection because the process affects the immune system. That makes it harder to fight bacteria and other germs that enter the body. People whose stem cell transplants come from donors have an even higher risk of infection because they need to take medicines to reduce the chance of rejection. These medicines can weaken the immune system.
Because of these risks, doctors won't release someone from the hospital until they are sure the transplant has been successful and the person is well enough to go home.
Getting out of hospital doesn't mean going back to normal life right away. Because of the risk of infection, it might be 3 months or more before someone who's had a stem cell transplant can go back to school, visit the mall, or go to a sporting event. That's because even a simple infection like a common cold can be life threatening for people whose immune systems need time to recover. Anywhere someone might come into contact with germs will be off limits.
Coping
Because stem cell transplants involve long isolation periods, they can be stressful. Luckily, medical teams know how tough that can be, and they know how important it is to get emotional support. Your doctor, a hospital social worker, or child life specialist can give you advice on getting through this difficult time. Don't hesitate to ask for help.
Date reviewed: August 2015