Second Stem-cell-transplant at BHU Hospital
Second Stem-cell-transplant at BHU Hospital
Varanasi: The Division of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University has successfully carried out the second Autologous Stem cell transplantation within a span of one year.
The first transplant was carried out last in February 2020. Due to corona pandemic and the strict lockdown for few months, further transplants could not be carried out. However, with reopening of the OPD services of Sir Sunderlal Hospital, second transplant was planned and carried out successfully on December 23 by a team of doctors led by Prof Vineeta Gupta. The other members of the team were Dr Priyanka Aggarwal, Dr Vidya Kumari Saurabh and other junior residents from the Division of Pediatric Hematology Oncology along with Prof Sandip Kumar, Dr SK Singh and Dr Dinesh K Singh from the Blood Bank, SS Hospital.
Prof SK Mathur, Medical Superintendent, provided the logistic support. This is an important milestone for the Division especially because it has been carried out in the background of the Corona pandemic, he said adding, “We plan to carry out more such transplants at the BMT-SRC Facility under the guidance of our director Prof BR Mittal”. The second successful transplant has opened the way for treatment of children with several hematological and oncological diseases which include leukemia (blood cancer), aplastic anemia and thalassemia etc.
According to him, the patient, a nine-year old boy was suffering from refractory Hodgkin’s lymphoma (a type of cancer of the lymph nodes). He was given high dose chemotherapy to kill the remaining cancer cells. His stem cells were harvested in the Blood Bank of SS Hospital. The child tolerated the whole procedure well and was discharged home in good condition after 40 days of hospital stay.
