Blood stem cell transplant process for the recipient

The blood stem cell transplant process is different for everyone. Your path may be different from others depending on the type of transplant, your overall health and your disease. However, there are certain steps you can expect throughout the transplant process.

This page gives you an overview of the process whether you’re receiving an allogeneic (cells from a donor) or autologous (cells from yourself) transplant. For more details on the steps of an allogeneic transplant, explore our transplant timeline.

The transplant timeline

Many things happen in the days and weeks before transplant. You will:

• Have a checkup to make sure your body is healthy enough for transplant.
• Get a central line if you don’t already have one.
• Receive chemotherapy (chemo), and possibly radiation, to prepare your body for transplant. This is also called the preparative or conditioning regimen.

Transplant will likely impact many parts of your life. Explore other ways you may need to prepare for transplant beyond your medical care.

Preparing for transplant

The cells for your transplant are collected before your transplant day:

• If you have an autologous transplant, your own cells are collected from your bloodstream or your bone marrow.
• If you have an allogeneic transplant, a family member’s or unrelated donor’s cells are collected from their blood stream or bone marrow. If you hear the term “haploidentical transplant,” this is an allogeneic transplant where the cells come from someone who matches half of your human leukocyte antigens (HLA). The cells could also come from a cord blood unit.

Usually 1 or 2 days after you finish your preparative regimen you’ll receive your new cells. The day of transplant is often called “day zero.”

A transplant is not surgery. Your transplant team will give you (infuse) the healthy cells through your central line that was placed into a large vein in your chest and neck. The cells come in blood bags, similar to the ones used for blood transfusions.

You will be in your hospital room and remain awake. Your transplant team will watch you closely while you get your new cells. They’ll also explain what to expect, how long it might take and how you might feel.

Receiving the new cells takes less than an hour to a few hours. The length of time depends on the number (volume) of cells you receive and how your body responds.

After you get the cells, they move through your bloodstream to settle into your bone marrow. In your bone marrow, they begin to grow and make new red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. This is called engraftment. It can take days or weeks for engraftment to happen.

Engraftment is an important medical milestone after your transplant. It tells your doctors that the cells are working properly. With these cells, your immune system is now beginning to recover, and you are better able to fight infections on your own. This also marks the beginning of your recovery.

The entire transplant process, from the start of chemo and sometimes radiation, until hospital discharge, can last weeks to months. This is followed by many months of recovery near the transplant center and at home. The transplant team will closely care for you to prevent and treat any complications.

Life after transplant