Are there any risks to bone marrow donation?

The National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP), the contractor for the Registry of the C.W. Bill Young Cell Transplantation Program (Registry), wants to assure the safety of unrelated donors, but no medical procedure is risk-free. The majority (more than 98.5%) of bone marrow donors on the Registry feel completely recovered within a few weeks. A small percentage (1.34%) of donors experience a serious complication due to anesthesia or damage to bone, nerve or muscle in their hip region.

The risk of side effects of anesthesia during bone marrow donation is similar to that during other surgical procedures. Serious side effects of anesthesia are rare. Common side effects of general anesthesia include sore throat (caused by the breathing tube) or mild nausea and vomiting. Common side effects of regional anesthesia are a decrease in blood pressure and a headache after the procedure.

The NMDP and its centers take all the necessary precautions to ensure the safety and well-being of the donor. To learn more, see Safeguarding Donors and Patients (not a U.S. Government Web site).