A large reason why people don't register to be bone marrow donors is because they do not understand how the process works. It only takes a cheek swab to join the registry. Many people believe donation is an extremely invasive and painful procedure. Yes, about a fifth of the time actual bone marrow is extracted. However, it is extracted from the pelvic bone and not the spine as many believe. It is a one time procedure that involves a needle and general anesthesia. The donor is only in the hospital for a few hours in most cases and can return to work and normal activity within a couple days.
The other 80% of donations use peripheral blood stem cells. This procedure is longer but less invasive. The technology to extract these stem cells is very similar to donating plasma or platelets. The blood is extracted from one arm, sent through an apheresis machine that extracts the stem cells, and put back into the other arm.
The other 80% of donations use peripheral blood stem cells. This procedure is longer but less invasive. The technology to extract these stem cells is very similar to donating plasma or platelets. The blood is extracted from one arm, sent through an apheresis machine that extracts the stem cells, and put back into the other arm.