One of the centers for recruiting potential donors of the National Central Single Ablation and Implant Coordinating Institute (Incucai) operates at the Centenario Hospital. There, awareness is raised about the importance of donating bone marrow and those interested are informed about what requirements they must meet and what the extraction methods are like.
Florencia, a 23-year-old nurse from Gualeguaychú, who some time ago registered in the donor registry, today has the possibility of saving the life of a person who is in the United States.
Regarding the case, Rosana Galindo, Hemotherapy Technician, explained that there is only between a 25% or 30% possibility of having a donor within the family, hence the importance of registering as a donor, since the existence of siblings, who They are usually the ones with the highest probability of compatibility, it does not guarantee that this is the case.
Once Incucai detected that Florencia’s genetic code was compatible with a person from the United States, it contacted the young woman to notify her and ratify her status as a donor. That is, the entity confirmed again with the Gualeguaychuense if she was still willing to be a donor.
Upon giving approval, the medical team analyzes the donor’s health status and the Registry informs them of the steps to follow to donate their cells. It is the donor, accompanied by the medical team, who chooses the method by which they will make the donation.
There are two methods of bone marrow extraction, and the procedure is done in Buenos Aires, then it is Incucai who is in charge of transferring the cells. This means that Florencia will not have to fly to the United States for the donation to be completed. The entity is responsible for all costs involved in the operation.
One of the techniques to obtain the cells is called “apheresis donation, or peripheral blood, injections are given for 5 days to stimulate the release of bone marrow cells into the bloodstream. On the day of the donation, the donor is connected to a machine that allows the components of the blood to be separated and only the cells necessary for the transplant to be extracted. The procedure is simple and that same day the person who donates can return home and resume their usual activities.”
And the other is through a puncture and is performed in an operating room. “The person who donates receives general anesthesia and the CPH are removed through punctures in the iliac crests, which are the large bones of the hip. In this case, the person spends a night of observation in the hospital with painkillers to prevent any type of pain and then can resume their life.”
This is the first time that a citizen of Gualeguaychú will be part of an international bone marrow donation. “It is the solidarity way of being able to help a person or save their life,” highlights Galindo.
In this regard, he places special emphasis on the importance of donating both blood and bone marrow, and reports that unlike people who donate blood, bone marrow donation is something long-term. He even comments that there were two or three occasions in which compatibility had been found with people from Gualeguaychú but who were already outside the age range. Bone marrow donors must be between 18 and 40 years old.
An important and striking fact is that, some time after the procedure and once the patient who received the donation is recovered, he can contact his donor and meet him. That is, the person who will receive Florencia’s cells has the possibility of meeting the person who saved his life. Then it is up to both parties if they want to arrange a meeting.
Meanwhile, Galindo anticipates that in the city there is another potential bone marrow donor who has been registered in the registry since 2019. She is cautious when reporting this, since the relevant prior analyzes are being done to evaluate the person’s health status. and verify that the procedure can actually be done.
From the Hospital Blood Bank they report that there are quite a few Gualeguaychuenses registered but “there is the possibility of approaching and seeking information so that there are more and more of us,” highlights the Hemotherapy technician in charge of the registrations and the extraction of blood samples.
How to be a bone marrow donor
Many times we intend to donate but we do not know how to access this instance. This is why Rosana Galindo explains that “you can go to the Centenario Hospital Blood Bank and register for the registry.”
“Admission is done with ID, you go through an interview where all the information about the donation, the methods, what it consists of, what it is like, is given, and then a small extraction is made and it is uploaded to the Incucai. They study the entire genetic part and look for the compatible donor and locate you. In this process they ask you again if you are willing to donate, since until the last minute it is the donor’s decision. Also, for example, if you are a woman and pregnant, you cannot donate.”
The process is very simple and is within the reach of any citizen who, within the age range, weighing more than 50 kilos and in good health, can do it. There are many myths that surround donation and the only truth is that you can save the life of someone who may belong to your community or who may be thousands of kilometers away.
Donating bone marrow as well as blood can make a difference not only to a patient but also to their family. Furthermore, we may all need a transplant at some point. (Source: El Día)
2023-11-04 02:52:24
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