Bone Marrow Transplantation in Turkey
A guide to haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) for patients and referring haematologists: transplant types, how donors are matched, what conditioning and graft-versus-host disease care involve, and how follow-up continues at home.
Information only. Nexwell does not find, supply or pay donors.
Quick answer
Bone marrow transplantation, more precisely haematopoietic stem cell transplantation, replaces a diseased blood-forming system with healthy stem cells. In an autologous transplant they are the patient's own; in an allogeneic transplant they come from a matched donor found through family testing or donor registries. Eligibility is decided by the transplant centre's haematology team.
- Types
- Autologous and allogeneic
- Allogeneic donors
- Matched sibling, unrelated donor or haploidentical family donor
- Registries
- TÜRKÖK / WMDA (centre confirms access case by case)
- Where
- Ministry of Health–licensed centres
- Follow-up
- Handed over to your home haematologist
- Donors via Nexwell
- None: we do not find or pay donors
Bone marrow transplant types
Haematologists and transplant nurses guide patients from eligibility assessment through to long-term follow-up. The two main types differ in where the stem cells come from.
- Autologous HSCT: the patient's own stem cells are collected, stored and given back after high-dose chemotherapy. It is used for conditions such as multiple myeloma, Hodgkin lymphoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
- Allogeneic HSCT: stem cells come from a matched sibling, a matched unrelated donor or a haploidentical (half-matched) family donor. It is used for conditions such as AML, ALL, MDS, aplastic anaemia and inherited blood disorders.
Conditioning and graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) care
Conditioning is the chemotherapy, with or without radiotherapy, given before the transplant. Myeloablative and reduced-intensity regimens exist; reduced-intensity conditioning may suit older patients or those with other health conditions who cannot tolerate full myeloablation.
After an allogeneic transplant, GVHD prevention and treatment are central. Protocols commonly combine cyclosporine and mycophenolate or use post-transplant cyclophosphamide, and the team manages acute and chronic GVHD.
Donor search and HLA matching
Full HLA typing is done for the patient and potential family donors. If no matched sibling exists, an unrelated donor search can run through Turkey's national bone marrow donor registry (TÜRKÖK) and international volunteer registries via the World Marrow Donor Association (WMDA). The transplant centre confirms registry access case by case, and a haploidentical family donor may be an alternative.
Nexwell does not find, supply or pay donors. Registry donors are volunteers who are not paid. Turkey regulates organ and tissue transplantation under Law No. 2238 (1979) and the Organ Transplantation Services Regulation (Official Gazette, 9 Dec 2022); buying or selling organs and tissues is a criminal offence. For the wider rules, see our guide to organ transplants in Turkey.
Long-term follow-up
After engraftment, follow-up includes chimerism testing, monitoring for minimal residual disease (MRD), tapering of immunosuppression and checks for chronic GVHD and late effects.
The transplant centre provides complete discharge documentation to your home haematologist: immunosuppression protocols, an MRD monitoring schedule and vaccination guidance. Your home haematologist takes over ongoing care, and the centre remains available for questions about the transplant.
What affects how long you need to stay
An allogeneic transplant needs a longer hospital stay, usually in an isolation room, than an autologous one, followed by outpatient monitoring before travel home. The exact plan depends on your disease, donor type and recovery, and the transplant team sets it individually after reviewing your records.
Bone marrow transplant in Turkey: common questions
Which conditions are treated with a bone marrow transplant?
Most commonly AML, ALL, multiple myeloma, Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma, MDS, aplastic anaemia, thalassaemia major and sickle cell disease. Other haematological conditions are reviewed case by case. The transplant centre's haematology team decides whether a transplant is appropriate after seeing your diagnosis and records.
How are donors found for an allogeneic transplant?
Doctors first test siblings and other family members for an HLA match. If none is suitable, they search donor registries, including the national registry (TÜRKÖK) and international registries through WMDA, or consider a half-matched family donor. The centre confirms which registries it can search in your case.
What follow-up is needed after returning home?
Close follow-up with your home haematologist is essential. The transplant centre provides discharge documentation, immunosuppression protocols, an MRD monitoring schedule and vaccination guidance for your home team. Never stop or change your medicine without advice from your transplant team, and report fever or new symptoms immediately.
Send your records for an eligibility review
Share your diagnosis, recent test results and imaging. The transplant centre's team reviews whether a transplant is medically and legally possible for you and tells you what else it needs. This is a medical review, not an offer of organs or donors. Nexwell does not find, supply or pay donors.
Related guides
Organ transplants in Turkey
The legal framework and process for every transplant type.
Read the guide →Kidney transplant in Turkey
Living-donor kidney transplant: rules, work-up and follow-up.
Read the guide →Liver transplant in Turkey
Living-donor liver transplant: who can donate and what to expect.
Read the guide →Sources
- Law No. 2238 on the Removal, Storage, Grafting and Transplantation of Organs and Tissues (mevzuat.gov.tr)
- Organ Transplantation Services Regulation, Official Gazette of 9 December 2022 (resmigazete.gov.tr)
For information only, not medical advice and not an offer of treatment, organs or donors. Eligibility for any transplant is decided by the transplant centre and, where the law requires it, by an ethics commission. See our editorial policy and medical disclaimer. Nexwell Clinics is a medical tourism company (Nexwell Global Solutions FZCO, Dubai); treatment is provided by independent, Ministry of Health–licensed hospitals and clinicians. Last updated 24 October 2026.