A special type of therapy for those patients who are suffering from certain diseases or cancers is known as bone marrow transplant (BMT). Bone marrow transplant, also known as hematopoietic stem cell transplant or stem cell transplant, includes taking of cells that can be found in the stem cells (bone marrow). These cells are filtered and are then given back to either other person or to the donor (patient). The aim of BMT (bone marrow transplant) is to transfer healthy bone marrow cells in a patient when their unhealthy bone marrow has been treated for destroying the abnormal cells. Following are the diseases that can be successfully treated by BMT that include –

Some solid tumor cancers :-

• Leukemias
• Multiple myeloma
• Severe aplastic anemia
• Immune deficiency disorders
• Lymphomas

Different Types of Bone Marrow Transplants :-

A number of bone marrow transplants are there that primarily depends on the donor that include –

• Allogeneic Bone Marrow Transplant: This implant requires a genetic type of donor similar to the patient. The stem cells are then taken by apheresis or bone marrow harvest from a genetically-matched donor. This generally involves a sister or brother. Some of the other donors are-
• Unrelated Bone Marrow Transplants: An unrelated donor provides genetically matched stem cells or marrow. National bone marrow registries can provide these types of donors.
• A Parent: When the genetic match is minimally identical to the recipient and a parent is a donor then it is known as a haploid-identical match.
• Umbilical Cord Blood Transplant: Right away after the delivery of an infant, the stem cells are then taken from an umbilical cord. They then reproduce into functioning and mature blood cells that more effective as compared to those stem cells taken from the bone marrow of other adult or child.
• Autologous Bone Marrow Transplant: A patient is itself a donor. In this transplant, stem cells are taken from a patient by apheresis or bone marrow harvest. These cells are then given back to a patient after they have been frozen. Rescue is the name given to this process.

When do people need stem cell transplants?

A bone marrow transplant is required for certain reasons. A normal bone marrow transplant can be provided to those –

• Patients who are suffering from a genetic disease that may affect different body organs.
• Patients whose bone marrow has been damaged by radiation therapy and chemotherapy for treating cancer.
• Patients whose bone marrow stem cells are defective or abnormal.
• Patients who are relatively in good health in spite of their associated condition.

What is Corneal Transplant?

Cornea transplant (corneal grafting) is the process by which a diseased cornea of the patient is replaced by the donated cornea graft or tissue. The surgery can be done in total with penetrating keratoplasty and also in part with lamellar keratoplasty. In this procedure, a clear healthy corneal is placed by removing the diseased opaque cornea in order to restore the lost sight by permitting the light rays to enter with the help of the clear transplanted cornea.

Types of Cornea Transplants :-

• Penetrating (full thickness) Cornea Transplant: This kind of transplant involves transplanting all the layers of the cornea from the donor.
• Lamellar Cornea Transplant: In this, the surgeon only replaces some of the layers of the cornea with the transplant.
• Lamellar transplants are the most appropriate transplant when the disease process is limited to only a portion of the cornea.

Indications of a Corneal Transplant?

• Vision cannot be corrected with eyeglasses or contact lenses
• In the case of swelling which cannot be healed by any medications.
• Hereditary corneal failure, such as Fuchs’ Dystrophy
• A steep curving (Keratoconus) of the cornea
• Corneal failure after other eye surgery, such as cataract surgery
• Injury leading to scarring

Procedure for Corneal Transplant :-

The surgical process of cornea transplant does not require any hospitalization and is performed under general anesthesia. The tissue is examined thoroughly before donor corneas are used for transplant. To control the continuous blinking and eye movement, an injection is released into the eyes of the patient. Many times a surgeon also uses eye drops to numb the eye.

The surgeon then examines the concerned area to understand the requirement of the size of the donor tissue. The surgeon first removes a similarly shaped button part of the tissue from the patient’s affected cornea and then places a similarly shaped button from the donor tissue. This button is then sutured into a proper place. In the end, the surgeon will cover the patient’s eye with a plastic shield to protect it from being rubbed.