If you have any doubts about whether you would be able to donate marrow, it is best to delay joining the Registry until you are sure. Uncommitted donors give false hope to patients awaiting transplants. Also remember that although a volunteer donor may decline at any stage in the process, once he or she signs the Intent to Donate form, the patient begins the pre-transplant treatment and will most likely die without the transplant. Typically, the donor enters the hospital on the day of the marrow donation. Donors remain in the hospital for several hours or overnight after the marrow collection.
All donors receive general or local anesthesia for the procedure.
The liquid marrow is removed from the rear of the pelvic bone using a special needle and syringe. This process generally lasts 60 minutes. Donors can expect to feel some discomfort in their lower back for several days following donation. Some donors compare the discomfort to the pain experienced falling on their tailbone, while others describe it as similar to muscle pain. As with any surgical procedure, there is a minimal amount of risk associated with the marrow collection.