Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation in Bangalore

An Autologous Stem Cell Transplant (or Autologous Bone Marrow Transplant) replaces damaged bone marrow with healthy blood stem cells from your own body. When compared to stem cells from a donor (allogeneic), using your own cells for a stem cell transplant has several benefits. For instance, if you have an Autologous Stem Cell Transplant, you won’t need to be concerned about the compatibility of the donor’s cells with your own cells. An Autologous Stem Cell Transplant may be feasible if the body is producing a sufficient number of healthy bone marrow cells. Such cells can be collected, frozen, and stored for later use.

Who is the good candidate for Autologous Stem Cell Transplant?

Multiple patients have the option of receiving high-dose therapy with stem cell transplant rescue, but there are a number of things to keep in mind:

• The most important consideration is age. For those under 65, transplantation is typically advised. The patient must be in good enough health to handle high-dose chemotherapy and have no significant underlying medical conditions because it is an extensive course of treatment.
• These risk variables include the kind and stage of the disease, as well as its aggressivity and treatment receptivity.
• Certain medical procedures may have an impact on transplantation, so doctors need to inquire about previous treatments or procedures.

How can I get ready for an Autologous Stem Cell Transplant?

The first step is to gather and prepare stem cells. The patient’s blood, bone marrow, or cord blood can all be used for collecting stem cells. The procedure consists of the following:

• Undergoing tests to see if the patient is in a suitable state to donate stem cells, such as a bone marrow biopsy, a lung, heart, and blood pressure checkup.
• Taking growth factor injections, which causes the body to produce and release stem cells from bone marrow.
• Performing Harvesting, the process called gathering stem cells
• Putting blood through a stem cell-removing machine, the procedure is called Apheresis.
• Use of liquid nitrogen to freeze stem cells.
• Keep them in a lab until the transplant is complete.

Following Harvesting, the patient gets high-dose chemotherapy to eradicate cancer cells. The remainder of the bone marrow’s blood cells are likewise destroyed by chemotherapy. Radiation treatment is also used in conjunction with chemo on some patients, and the process is called Conditioning.

What is the process of an Autologous Stem Cell Transplant?

The patient is prepared for the transplant after finishing chemotherapy (and if required, radiation treatment). It doesn’t require surgery as other transplants do. Instead, an intravenous catheter is used by healthcare professionals to provide stem cells. Your blood helps the extracted stem cells go to your bone marrow, where they eventually arrive. There, new blood cells are created to replace the abnormal ones. This procedure is called Engraftment, and it might take many weeks. In order to accelerate the procedure, one could get growth factor injections. To get the blood cell counts back to normal ranges, patients will have to stay in the hospital.

Recovery From an Autologous Stem Cell Transplant

The first few weeks after a transplant are extremely challenging, according to many transplant patients. At this moment, their blood counts are still quite low.

The immune system is compromised until Engraftment takes place since chemotherapy causes all of the blood cells to be killed. It’s crucial to spend the initial phase of recovery in the hospital since the patient has a higher risk of infections. Along with physically adverse impacts, the patient could also have mental health issues. Moving ahead with life might be challenging due to the unpredictable nature of healing. The patient might be concerned about how well the transplant will go. Their looks and sense of self may also be impacted by the medications that they will have to take as part of the therapy. To make this period a bit easier, the healthcare practitioner can assist in finding counselling and other options.

Risks Associated with an Autologous Stem Cell Transplant

The stem cell transplant procedure has risks at every stage. They consist of the following complications:

• Bone pain with growth factor for mobilisation.
• During Apheresis, patients can feel nauseous or tingly in their hands or feet.
• Pain, exhaustion, and nausea are some of the side effects of chemotherapy.
• Bleeding excessively and easily bruised. Autologous Stem Cell Transplant recipients frequently require blood or platelet transfusions.
• Sickness and infection up till Engraftment happens. Serious issues might arise from germs that may not have previously made them sick.
• Lung conditions, such as pneumonia and inflammation.

Why choose Apollo Hospitals, Karnataka?

The most preferred Stem Cell Transplant hospital in Karnataka is Apollo Hospitals, and its transplant physicians and surgeons are among the best in the region, with years of expertise in the field. With state-of-the-art facilities, we have some of the most qualified and experienced superspecialists in the area who can offer complete medical treatment and are backed with cutting-edge infrastructure, the most advanced equipment, and world-class healthcare facilities. To provide individualised care, we offer each patient high-quality care tailored to their specific needs.