What are the risks of a bone marrow transplant for sickle cell?

Any bone marrow transplant is risky because complications, such as severe infections and immune system problems, can occur.

• If the recipient's natural defense (immune) system isn't weakened enough by the medicines given before the transplant, it can attack the new stem cells and cause the transplant to fail.
• If the donor's stem cells don't match the recipient's closely enough, the donor's new immune system cells may attack certain organs in the recipient (graft-versus-host disease).
• Other complications can include seizures and bleeding in the brain.

In some cases, this disease can cause long-term sickness or death (about 5% to 10% of bone marrow transplant recipients die).

A person may be unable to have children (infertile) after a bone marrow transplant.