The physician will explain the details of transplant and make specific recommendations for your care. At the conclusion of your consultant, you will be able to tour the Froedtert inpatient BMT Unit. A great deal of information will be given to you over a short period of time. We recommend that you bring a tape recorder to your initial consultation. Please write down any questions or concerns as they arise so that you will remember to ask your doctor, physician assistant or nurse.
Stem cells are immature bone marrow-like cells that circulate in the peripheral blood.
These stem cells are capable of developing into mature red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. The stem cells are collected from the peripheral blood by a technique called leukapheresis or apheresis. Leukapheresis is a process of separation and collection of a particular type of white blood cell from the other blood elements. In this procedure, blood is removed through a special intravenous catheter or through a large vein in the arm and flows through a blood separation machine. The layer of blood that contains the stem cells is collected and the rest of the blood is returned to the patient.