With bone marrow donation, the bone marrow is obtained from the iliac crest through multiple punctures made with a syringe. The harvesting is done under full anethesia, is performed by a medical team of specialists and generally lasts between 2 and 3 hours.

The harvesting of blood stem cells through this procedure is more efficient, meaning for each harvest more blood stem cells can be obtained than with a peripheral donation. However, it requires an in-patient hospital stay and is also somewhat painful. 

The day before the scheduled bone marrow donation, the donor enters the  center in Basel, Geneva or Zurich. Normally, the donor can leave the hospital the next day unless a complication is found in the medical post-examination.

A few days rest after the donation is advised. Don't plan any strenuous physical activity in the first few days after the donation.

Every person that donates blood stem cells has the right to medical follow-up care - lifelong.

After the harvesting, it is possible that you could have an uncomfortable hematoma (bruise) in the iliac crest area, and for a couple of days you might experience pain when sitting or during physical activity. This pain only lasts a couple of days and can be alleviated with pain medicine. An initial fatigue can also last a few days. You will be informed in time about any other possible side effects and risks.