The bone marrow is a part of the human body with a spongy texture. It is primarily a tissue containing stem cells. It is found in some bones, like the hip bone and the thigh bone. The bone marrow has an essential role in the body’s immune system. The stem cells produced by the bone marrow eventually develop into red blood cells or erythrocytes. These erythrocytes form the major component of the blood, followed by the other blood cells such as leukocytes or the white blood cells and blood platelets.
The developing liver plays the bone marrow’s role in the fetus, which grows to become the body’s largest organ. Whereas in an adult, the bone marrow is found along the ends of the long bone.
The formation of bone marrow starts at six years of age. It is actively produced in the axial bones of an adult until they reach the age of 20. People with a weak immune system are characterized by a deficiency in bone marrow production or the same incompetency. In such cases, a bone marrow transplant may be required for The Treatment.
Abnormalities Or Defects in Bone Marrow Production
A varied set of problems may arise from developing and producing the stem cells in the bone marrow. They may either not produce enough (a case of deficiency) or develop abnormally, hindering the immune system and functions. One such example may include leukaemia.
Also referred to as blood cancer, the disease arises due to the abnormal development of the body’s white blood cells. Another example is aplastic anaemia, characterized by a low RBC count in the body.
Bone Marrow Transplant
The treatment for many such diseases of the bone marrow is in the bone marrow transplant. It could be done by replacing the bone marrow with healthy tissue of one’s own body or from a donor. A bone marrow transplant is also referred to as a stem cell transplant.
This treatment cures or at least tries to control the development of malignant lymphoma or leukaemia. Replacing the damaged bone marrow caused due to high doses of radiation or chemotherapy to treat certain malignancies is also one of the reasons to get a bone marrow transplant.
Bone marrow transplant in India is of two types.
Autogenic bone marrow transplants: This uses healthy blood stem cells from one’s own body to replace the damaged and diseased bone marrow. It is used to treat non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and Myeloma.
Allogeneic bone marrow transplants: Here, healthy blood stem cells from a donor are used to replace the defective ones in a recipient. The blood stem cells are collected from the blood of a donated umbilical cord or collected from the bone marrow within a donor’s hipbone. It is used to treat Hodgkin’s lymphoma, Immune deficiencies, and Plasma cell disorders. These are only some of the many diseases treatable via transplant.
Now that we have known a bit about bone marrow and its defects and treatments, here is the success rate.
The Success Rate: Bone Marrow Transplant in India
The best bone marrow transplant in India is done in Delhi, Gurgaon, Bangalore, and Mumbai, among many other cities. Some of these places have hospitals that provide affordable and reliable transplant procedures.
India houses some of the best bone marrow transplant hospitals. India has a solid 60% – 90% success rate in bone marrow transplants. Time-efficient, reliable, and trustworthy are the attributes that describe India’s bone marrow transplant procedures quality.
Transplants on patients with non-malignant diseases have a 70-90% better success rate. There is an increase of 30% when the marrow is of a matched donor than an unmatched one. Matched here refers to a family member. The success rate of a bone marrow transplant in India is 65% when done using unrelated donors.
Conclusion
The infrastructure and technology of India’s top bone marrow transplant hospitals are at par with the facilities available in western countries. The cost for bone marrow transplants in India is much more affordable than many other European countries. There is also the promising possibility of choosing doctors whose expertise and experience will help one heal better. A stay in the hospital for 30 days and 90 days in the country is required to receive the best bone marrow transplant in India.
The surgeons and medical health care officials give holistic care and amicable relations to the patients. While considering the transplant, the doctor may also refer chemotherapy to fasten the procedure. It can also be cost-effective compared to the other countries that are medically reputed.
There are certain lifestyle changes that need to be made in order to have the best effects of the transplant. It is important to have full faith in the doctor and make necessary lifestyle changes. The most important part is to be mentally strong.