Bone Marrow Transplant in India

When things go wrong with the bone marrow, it leads to a life-threatening situation. A mass of tissue with a dense network of nerves and highly vascularized bone marrow as the name suggests is found enclosed in bone cavities all over the body. It is part of the vital lymphatic system comprising red marrow and yellow marrow.

This lymphatic system performs a number of vital functions besides the removal of old and dead cells from the body. Most of the platelets, white and blood cells are formed in the red marrow while the white marrow produces fats, cartilage, and bone. This makes the microarchitecture a vital system for life support. The red blood cells perform the function of oxygen carriers while the white ones act like the sentinels and are indispensable for body immunity which keeps harmful pathogens at bay.   

During a lab test excess production of red blood cells or white blood cells is an indication of an abnormality and calls for medical attention. For example, excess white cell production in your bloodstream is usually a sign of disease. In a contingency especially when there is a deficiency of the RBC, WBC, or platelets body hormones trigger excess production to make up for the loss. 

Bone Marrow Transplant

When contingency strikes and the marrow becomes diseased to the point of no return then a transplant is the only recourse. In the case of cancers of various types and blood-related disorders, transplantation is lifesaving.

In this kind of procedure, stem cells play a major role. Stem cells are a special type of developing cells that turn into the RBC, WBC, and platelets depending upon their genetic coding. Thus, the diseased cells are removed and healthy stem cells are transplanted into the bone marrow. The success rate of this procedure is almost 85% and immensely helps those suffering from bone marrow disease especially those afflicted by cancer.

BMT or bone marrow transplant is required not only when the marrow is affected by cancer but the damage is also by severe infections, aplastic anemia, sickle cell anemia, and thalassemia.  

In case of a malignancy, BMT is most successful in the following instances

• ·        Hodgkin’s lymphoma
• ·        Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma
• ·        Multiple Myeloma
• ·        Acute Myeloid Leukemia
• ·        Chronic Myeloid Leukemia
• ·        Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (
• ·        Neuroblastoma
• ·        Myelofibrosis

Usually, the marrow is harvested from some specific bones in the body in order to find an anomaly or damage to it. The harvesting is done under general anesthesia and complications are limited. In the case of harvesting from a donor, most countries have stipulated a limit to extraction.

Allo & Auto Transplant

In the case of ALLO, the transfer takes place between two persons provided the marrows match. In order to prevent rejection a protein named HLA in WBC is matched, this protein is responsible for preventing a rejection whence the introduced cells begin attacking those already present in the body.  ALLO transplant can be impacted with a high or low dosage of chemotherapy and thus the process is differentiated accordingly by the experts.

In the case of AUTO Transplant, the healthy stem cells are removed and stored as frozen before chemotherapy or radiation. These cells are then retransferred after the cancer treatment.

The pre-transplant procedures include increasing the production of healthy stem cells, the chemotherapy is then carried out followed by reinjection of the bone marrow.

Some other types of BMT are:

• ·        Syngeneic Transplant
• ·        Haploidentical Transplant

Before the BMT takes place a number of tests have to be conducted in order to detect problems and infection if any.  Hence a variety of blood tests, CT scans, X-rays, biopsies, and heart function tests are all that the operating surgeon may deem necessary. 

Though the success rate is high almost up to 85% some complications may arise post the procedure. But the complications rarely result in death and as a result, they are becoming more and more popular.  

Nearly 100000 BMT are being carried out around the world. The rate of increase in the procedures being carried out is 7 percent which is suggestive of a growing number of ailments that afflict the marrow. 

In India, a number of bone marrow transplants are being carried out in top-rated hospitals. The cost of this procedure ranges anywhere from 20 lakhs to 45 lakhs. The cost difference arises from the type of hospital chosen and the BMT procedure itself. As compared to India the cost of BMT in The USA is as much as 200,000 USD.

Some of the best hospitals for BMT are:

• ·        Max Hospitals
• ·        Medanta
• ·        Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital
• ·        Global Hospital Chennai

The cost difference and the quality of service available in Indian Hospitals make them an attractive health travel destination. These factors are proving beneficial to international health travelers and they are actively seeking treatments in India.