A bone marrow transplant is performed to replace diseased bone marrow with healthy stem cells. It can be a life-saving treatment for certain people with cancers that affect the blood, including leukemia, lymphoma and multiple myeloma.

There are two main types of bone marrow transplants:

Autologous bone marrow transplantation, which uses remaining healthy stem cells from the patient’s own bone marrow that are collected before starting cancer treatment (certain therapies like high-dose chemotherapy and radiation treatment can damage stem cells).
Allogeneic bone marrow transplantation, which uses healthy stem cells from the bone marrow of another person, called a donor. Donors must have blood proteins (human leukocyte antigens) that closely resemble the patient’s blood proteins.

Donating bone marrow for an allogeneic transplant requires undergoing an outpatient procedure that usually lasts around two hours. During surgery, a physician inserts a needle into the donor’s hip bone to draw out marrow. The procedure does not require large incisions and is performed under general or regional anesthesia.

Is donating bone marrow dangerous?

Bone marrow donation is largely considered safe. However, any medical procedure involves some measure of risk. Prospective bone marrow transplant donors should familiarize themselves with the risks of marrow donation and the recovery process before committing to surgery.

In general, the risks associated with bone marrow transplant donation are similar to those of many other medical procedures. Complications are rare during marrow harvesting—around 2.4% of patients experience serious side effects, many of which are related to general anesthesia. Other possible risks of bone marrow donation include:

Muscle or nerve damage
Injury at the surgical site
Transfusion reactions

Common side effects of donating bone marrow

It’s typical to experience a few mild side effects after donating bone marrow. Some of the most common side effects of marrow donation include:

Bruising around the incision site
Fatigue
Headache
Muscle pain
Hip or back pain

These side effects tend to resolve quickly, and many donors are back to their usual routines in just a few days. Furthermore, the relatively small amount of bone marrow harvested for an allogeneic transplant is naturally replenished by the body in just four to six weeks.

Does donating bone marrow hurt?

The bone marrow donation procedure is performed using anesthesia, so there’s no pain. However, donors may experience varying levels of discomfort for a few days or weeks after surgery. Some donors describe the pain as an achiness or feeling like they strained a back muscle.

Bone marrow transplantation at Moffitt Cancer Center

Moffitt Cancer Center’s Blood and Marrow Transplant and Cellular Immunotherapy Program is the largest and most active program of its kind in the Southeast. Our multispecialty team utilizes advanced technologies and renowned clinical expertise to achieve the best outcomes for bone marrow donors and recipients alike. Moreover, Moffitt’s one-year allogeneic transplant survival rates exceed national outcomes, and we’re among a select few centers in the country to provide bone marrow transplantation to patients over age 70.

If you’re interested in donating bone marrow—or, if you’re a candidate for bone marrow transplantation—we invite you to visit Moffitt to learn more about the details and risks of the transplant process. You can schedule an appointment by submitting a new patient registration form online or calling 1-888-663-3488. A referral is not required.