To donate bone marrow, the process generally involves these key steps:
- Register to join a bone marrow donor registry, where your tissue type will be stored for potential matches.
- If you are identified as a match for a patient, you will be contacted for health screening, blood tests, and a physical exam to confirm suitability and safety for donation.
- Once cleared, donation usually occurs in a hospital setting under general anesthesia. Bone marrow is collected from the back of your pelvic bones using needles inserted through the skin. This surgical procedure typically takes 1 to 2 hours.
- You may stay overnight in the hospital and will need some recovery time, often about 1 to 2 weeks before resuming normal activities. The bone marrow regenerates naturally within a few weeks.
- All donation-related costs such as medical expenses, travel, meals, and accommodations are covered by the donation programs.
There are also non-surgical blood stem cell donation alternatives, but bone marrow donation specifically involves a surgical procedure under anesthesia to extract marrow from the pelvic bones. This process takes about 20 to 30 hours total over several weeks including testing and follow-ups, with the actual donation being a surgical collection requiring anesthesia and hospital stay. Donor safety and support are prioritized throughout the journey.
