What you can expect

Bone marrow donation

Collecting stem cells from bone marrow is a type of surgery and is done in the operating room. You'll be given an anesthetic for the procedure. Needles will be inserted through the skin and into the bone to draw the marrow out of the bone. This process usually takes one to two hours.

After the bone marrow is collected, you'll be taken to the recovery room while the anesthetic wears off. You may then be taken to a hospital room where the nursing staff can monitor you. When you're fully alert and able to eat and drink, you'll likely be released from the hospital.

Peripheral blood stem cell donation

If blood stem cells are going to be collected directly from your blood, you'll be given injections of a medication to stimulate the production of blood stem cells so that more of them are circulating in your bloodstream. The medication is usually started several days before you're going to donate.

During the donation, blood is usually taken out through a catheter in a vein in your arm. The blood is sent through a machine that takes out the stem cells. The unused components are returned to your bloodstream. This process is called apheresis. It typically takes up to two hours and is done as an outpatient procedure. You'll typically undergo two to four apheresis sessions, depending on how many blood stem cells are needed.

After the procedure

Recovery times vary depending on the individual and type of donation. But most blood stem cell donors are able to return to their usual activities within a few days to a week after donation.