Back to Top

The Benefit of Bone Marrow Transplant Abroad 

A bone marrow transplant is an expensive treatment for most patients. In some countries, insurance will not cover the treatment. Traveling to seek a bone marrow transplant abroad is the best solution.

The procedure is highly delicate and needs experienced surgeons. Only a small number of medical tourism destinations have qualified surgeons and affordable healthcare services.

Avoiding waiting lists is another reason that motivates patients to seek treatment abroad. There are other appeals for having BMT abroad:

Doctors abroad speak and communicate in English. 

Some patients might hesitate to consider having the treatment abroad because of language or cultural barriers. But doctors regularly serve international patients in medical tourism destinations like Turkey, Hungary, and Poland. They can communicate in good English.

Some doctors had their training abroad, which explains their good English proficiency. Also, their clinics have assistants who communicate in English.

Modern Facilities and equipment 

The specialist doctor uses the latest technology and equipment in their field. Ensuring your treatment will have great results and a higher success rate.

The procedure is more affordable abroad.

The cost of health care in the US, UK, and Australia has been rising for the past few years. Bone marrow transplant costs 50% - 70% less abroad.

Reduced waiting time 

In some countries like the UK and USA, there is a waiting time for a specific procedure, which can span months. But in other countries, it is reduced drastically. In some cases, with no waiting time.

Tips For Choosing The Best Stem Cells Transplant Clinic Abroad 

  • Research the condition of the clinic before booking. It's recommended to visit the clinic before booking and finalizing the procedure. Talk to the staff and past patients if possible. 

  • Ask what's the follow-up steps after the surgery and aftercare procedure steps. 

  • Choose the right surgeon, do your due diligence, and enquire. 

  • Create a shortlist of possible clinics abroad:  research the clinic you plan to visit overseas. Most reputable clinics will have an official website, and you can examine the doctor's expertise, reviews, and credentials. 

  • Check the local regulation: Knowing how the treatment is regulated in your chosen country is essential. It will help you identify reputable clinics registered with the governing body or national association. It will also tell you about your rights.

  • Prepare a list of questions for your doctor: prepare a list of questions to ensure you receive quality treatment. Common questions to ask - do they provide a translator? Do they have patients' testimonials? Is the clinic registered with the national association?

  • Verify the surgeon's experience. Ask about the surgeon's education, additional fellowship training, and how often they performed the treatment. 

Ideal Candidate for Bone Marrow Transplant Surgery (BMT) Abroad  

You're ideal for a bone marrow transplant if you're diagnosed with bone marrow failure or severe aplastic anemia, Leukemia, Lymphoma, Myeloma, or disorders of the immune system.

Bone Marrow Transplant Treatment Cost Abroad

The factors that affect bone marrow transplant prices are the location of the hospital, the surgeon's experience, the technique used, and the type of treatment.

Country Estimated Cost
UK

€400,000 - €850,000

USA

€400,000 - €850,000

Turkey

€60,000

Australia 

€400,000 - €900,000

Learn more about Bone Marrow Transplant in Turkey by comparing costs and reviewing the clinics and doctors.

Bone Marrow Transplant Clinics(5 Clinics)

SORTED BY:
Acibadem Maslak Hospital
Istanbul, Turkey
Acibadem Maslak Hospital Verified
  • 90% would recommend
  • ISO 9001:2008 and JCI accreditations
  • Leed Gold Certified
  • 231 patient rooms
Learn More
Please Inquire
Contact Clinic
Contact Clinic
Medical Park Antalya Hospital
Antalya, Turkey
Medical Park Antalya Hospital Verified
  • ISO 9001 Certified
  • Over %95 effective result rate
  • Uses the latest technology
  • Premium facility
Learn More
Please Inquire
Contact Clinic
Contact Clinic
Florence Nightingale Istanbul
Istanbul, Turkey
Florence Nightingale Istanbul Verified
  • Accredited by ISO, JCI and the TUV
  • Premium facility
  • Follows the latest treatment trends
  • 700 bed capacity
Learn More
Please Inquire
Contact Clinic
Contact Clinic
Medical Park Ankara Hospital
Ankara, Turkey
Medical Park Ankara Hospital Verified
  • Well-equipped staff
  • Advanced diagnosis and treatment methods
  • 158 beds
  • Award-winning surgeons
Learn More
Please Inquire
Contact Clinic
Contact Clinic
Medical Park Goztepe Hospital
Istanbul, Turkey
Medical Park Goztepe Hospital Verified
  • 293 patient beds
  • JCI accredited
  • Over %90 effective result rate
  • Located in the heart of the city
Learn More
Please Inquire
Contact Clinic
Contact Clinic
You’ve viewed 5 of 5 clinics
By Abdulaziz Ali - Medically reviewed by Dr. Hasan L. Lice, on Apr 26, 2023

For patients who are suffering from advanced stages of cancer, bone marrow transplantation is not suggested. For a bone marrow transplant operation, the patient must be in an overall good state of health. This operation is generally performed when the disease is in remission.

How long will the procedure last? 

The surgery duration will take 1 - 2 hours.

How is the surgery performed?

A couple of days before the bone marrow transplant operation, the patient needs to stay in the hospital. To the patient’s larger veins in the chest area, a special tube is inserted. This tube is very important for the bone marrow transplant operation, which will be performed later.

With the use of the tube, blood samples would be gathered, and some drugs would be given to the patient. After, large doses of chemotherapy are administered to the patient. Occasionally radiation is used as well. To eliminate diseased or damaged stem cells in the marrow, chemotherapy is used.

Also, with chemotherapy, it is ensured that the patient’s body would not reject the new stem cells when they are infused into the patient. Once these steps are completed, the real bone marrow transplant operation starts.

There are two stages of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation operation that are:

Harvesting

During this procedure, the patient or donor, general anesthesia is administered. After that, the doctor would induce a needle deep into the hip bone and extract the marrow into a syringe. The sternum can also be used to harvest marrow.

The doctor will proceed to repeat the process until around a liter of marrow is harvested – the marrow will then be subjected to chemotherapy if it is harvested from the patient and not a separate donor. This way, it can be ensured that the marrow is completely healthy.

The process generally takes about an hour. After, the marrow would regenerate in a couple of weeks.

Transplant

The transplant stage is very similar to a blood transfusion procedure. The pre-inserted tube that is in the patient’s body is used to inject the bone marrow cells straight into the bloodstream. Once these cells are injected, they will slowly find their way to the patient's own bone marrow and begin producing platelets, white blood cells, and red blood cells.

The transplant process generally takes an hour. During this process, some patients might feel nausea or headaches.

Bone Marrow Transplant Recovery Time

The recovery period of a bone marrow transplant is different for the donors and the recipients. On average, the donors would return to their daily activities and work in 1-7 days. The marrow would regenerate in a couple of weeks.
For the recipient, the recovery period is much longer, which is around 6-12 months. Most of the complications happen in the first 100 days after the bone marrow transplant operation.

Bone Marrow Transplant Complications 

The bone marrow transplant procedure has some complications that involve:

  • Graft failure
  • Graft vs. host disease
  • Cataracts
  • Serious infection after chemotherapy

There are several side effects of a bone marrow transplant, such as:

  • Pain
  • Nausea
  • Diarrhea
  • Intestinal cramps
  • Hair loss
  • Skin rashes

Bone Marrow Transplant Abroad Success Rate

The average success rate of bone marrow transplants abroad is 69% for patients with an unrelated donor and 79% for patients with a related donor.

In around 85% of the patients who had hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, their life expectancy is improved by 10 or more years.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is graft vs. host disease?

In this condition, the donor marrow cells assault the recipient’s body.

Does a marrow donor face any risks?

Usually no, the risks are only related to the use of general anesthesia.

What are the chances of having a donor in my family?

The rate of patients who do not have a donor in their family is around 30% - 70%.