A blood stem cell donation is done when you are found as a matching donor for a patient with blood cancer or a blood disorder. There are two types of donation:
Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Donation: This is the most common donation method, which is used in around 85% of cases. Here, your blood is drawn from one arm and passed through an apheresis machine that filters out the blood stem cells and returns the blood back into your body through the other arm.
Bone Marrow Donation: This method is done about 15% of the time and generally when your recipient is a pediatric patient. While under general anesthesia, doctors use a special syringe to collect a small amount of bone marrow, which stores blood stem cells, from the back of the hip bone.
As a donor, you should be willing to donate by either method. The patient's physician decides whether the cells are removed from the bloodstream or bone marrow, based on what is best for the patient.
