Bone Marrow Transplants?!
Question: Bone Marrow Transplants!?
I've heard that it's very painful and you can't be under anesthesia!? Is that true!? Also, how badly does it hurt!?
Thanks for the help!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
Thanks for the help!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
Answers:
You are confusing transplant with donation or biopsy I think!.
During a bone marrow biopsy, the patient will not be asleep unless it is a small child!. It is painful, but, it could be worse!. The really painful part only lasts about 30 seconds!. They dont do general anesthesia because the proceedure is so short that it is not worth the risk of anesthesia!. I do get a nice dose of ativan though, which keeps my come and also is a mild amnesic (its the same class of med as conscious sedation meds and xanax)!.
For bone marrow donation!.!.!.!. Well, the dont really use actual bone marrow anymore, but when they do!.!.!. the donor would most likely be under genereal anesthesia!. They do it sometimes with an epidural, but that would likely be because the donor has requested it or because they cant do genereal!. However, donating is a completly voluntary proceedure!.
Although, most of the time today the donation is done using peripheral blood stem cells!. They stick you with two needles and hook you up to a aphersis machine!. Its the very simular using the same equip as if you were going to sell plasma, or even in some Red Cross donations!. The machine pulls your blood out from one needles, seperates it to pull out the stem cells which are a type of white blood cell, then the rest of your blood goes through a warmer and back into your body through the other needle!. The proceedure takes a couple hours, and you have to be relativly still!. But, the only painful part is being stuck with the needle!. No big deal!.
As far as a transplant!.!.!.!. Its not done by surgery!. The patient goes through high dose chemo and radiation to kill off the existing marrow, and then the new stem cells are infused with an IV the same as any other med or blood product!. The cells by nature make their way to the bone and engraft!. Transplant is a very long and difficult process, but really anesthesia wouldnt be able to do anything, because you cant be put to sleep for weeks like that!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
During a bone marrow biopsy, the patient will not be asleep unless it is a small child!. It is painful, but, it could be worse!. The really painful part only lasts about 30 seconds!. They dont do general anesthesia because the proceedure is so short that it is not worth the risk of anesthesia!. I do get a nice dose of ativan though, which keeps my come and also is a mild amnesic (its the same class of med as conscious sedation meds and xanax)!.
For bone marrow donation!.!.!.!. Well, the dont really use actual bone marrow anymore, but when they do!.!.!. the donor would most likely be under genereal anesthesia!. They do it sometimes with an epidural, but that would likely be because the donor has requested it or because they cant do genereal!. However, donating is a completly voluntary proceedure!.
Although, most of the time today the donation is done using peripheral blood stem cells!. They stick you with two needles and hook you up to a aphersis machine!. Its the very simular using the same equip as if you were going to sell plasma, or even in some Red Cross donations!. The machine pulls your blood out from one needles, seperates it to pull out the stem cells which are a type of white blood cell, then the rest of your blood goes through a warmer and back into your body through the other needle!. The proceedure takes a couple hours, and you have to be relativly still!. But, the only painful part is being stuck with the needle!. No big deal!.
As far as a transplant!.!.!.!. Its not done by surgery!. The patient goes through high dose chemo and radiation to kill off the existing marrow, and then the new stem cells are infused with an IV the same as any other med or blood product!. The cells by nature make their way to the bone and engraft!. Transplant is a very long and difficult process, but really anesthesia wouldnt be able to do anything, because you cant be put to sleep for weeks like that!.Www@Answer-Health@Com