Yashoda’s Advanced Bone Marrow Transplant Institute Creates Medical Landmarks

Bone Marrow Harvest from a 9-month-old baby

Bone marrow transplantation from an infant to his toddler brother

Sardhik Kusetty, a 2 years old boy from Produttur was diagnosed with severe Aplastic Anemia, a life threateningbone marrow failure isease. The only way to save him from this dreadful disease was emergency bone marrow transplant. He was detected with severe systemic sepsis, due to very low neutrophil count (ANC<100). Fortunately, his younger brother turned out to be a full HLA gene match and the family  geared up for BMT at Yashoda Hospital, Somajiguda. However, once the transplant was finalized, there were many challenges in this case. Firstly, the success of any BMT depends on the number of stem cells per kg weight of the patient. For Sardhik, his donor, 9 months old brother, was so tiny, less than half the weight of Sardhik, hence chances of getting adequate stem cell dose for Sardhik seemed very difficult and chances of graft failure were very high. 

Secondly, stem cell collection – usually now a days, we collect stem cells by apheresis on machine from peripheral blood just like platelet apheresis. For Sardhik his brother, being so tiny, this kind of paripheral stem cell apheresis was almost impossible. The only other option was to collect the stem cells from bone marrow harvest under general anaesthesia in OT. gain the amount of bone marrow volume required for adequate stem cell collection for Sardhik was very high & a bit risky too.

We geared up for this challenging bone marrow harvest from a 9 months old baby & this happens to be the first case of successful bone marrow harvest in a child below 1 yr age in combined Telugu states.

9 months baby in the middle whose bone marrow harvest was done at our center 2 months back

To facilitate adequate stem cell collection from bone marrow, the baby was transfused blood before & after bone marrow harvest and eventually adequate & successful bone marrow harvest was done in our Yashoda Hospitals. Subsequently, Sardhik received the bone marrow derived stem cells from his younger brother and the BMT was successful. Today Sardhik is 3 months post BMT, completely cured of his dreadful bone marrow failure, i.e, Severe Aplastic Anemia and his younger brother is also healthy.

Bone Marrow Transplant to a 71-year-old lady

Bone marrow transplantation in elderly

We at Yashoda have done BMT for patients across all ages, from 9 months infant to 71 yrs elderly patients who have been cured of their various blood disorders. We also have the national record of successfully doing half HLA matched bone marrow transplant for a reputed physician of 71 yrs age with AML. Usually, half HLA matched transplant above the age of 60 years is very challenging and risky. Successfully completing a Haploidentical BMT for 71 yr old patient is first of its kind in India.

Double Haplo Bone Marrow Transplant

Bone marrow transplantation in children

Sai Meghana, 10 yrs girl, underwent consecutive double Haplo BMT for severe Aplastic Anemia six months ago. India’s first such case to survive 48 days with absolute no neutropenia and first successful double Haplo Transplant in India

Double Haplo Bone Marrow Transplant

About Author –

Dr. Ganesh Jaishetwar, Consultant Hematologist, Hemato-Oncologist & Bone Marrow Transplant Physician

MD, DM (Clinical Hematology), BMT, TMC, FACP, Fellow in Bone Marrow Transplantation (Canada)

Dr. Ganesh Jaishetwar has successfully completed more than 60 blood & bone marrow transplants at Yashoda Hospitals. His expertise and special interests include treatment for Blood cancers (Leukemia, Lymphoma & Multiple Myeloma, MDS, Myeloproliferative disorders), blood disorders (Anemia, Thallasemia, Aplastic anemia etc.), immunodeficiency disorders.