beinmergsígræðslu

Beinmergsígræðsla, also known as a bone marrow transplant, is a medical procedure used to treat various diseases affecting the blood and immune system. It involves replacing damaged or diseased bone marrow with healthy stem cells. These stem cells can be sourced from the patient themselves (autologous transplant) or from a matched donor (allogeneic transplant).

The procedure typically begins with the patient receiving high-dose chemotherapy or radiation therapy to destroy their existing bone marrow. This is done to make space for the new, healthy stem cells and to eliminate any remaining cancerous or diseased cells. Following this conditioning regimen, the healthy stem cells, which have been collected and processed beforehand, are infused into the patient's bloodstream, much like a blood transfusion.

These transplanted stem cells then travel to the bone marrow and begin to engraft, meaning they start to produce new, healthy blood cells. The recovery process can be lengthy and requires careful monitoring for complications such as infection and graft-versus-host disease, where the donor's immune cells attack the recipient's body. Beinmergsígræðsla is a complex treatment option used for conditions like leukemia, lymphoma, aplastic anemia, and certain genetic disorders.