Long-term donor follow-up
All further donor follow-up is no longer the responsibility of the collection clinic, but of the DKMS. Blood tests are usually no longer necessary.
After the first questionnaire and blood test, further follow-up monitoring at regular intervals is carried out by the coordinator of Followup Team at DKMS Foundation India. Normally, we won’t require any further blood tests and will simply send you a short questionnaire asking how you are doing and enquiring about your general wellbeing. Our first questionnaire will come six months post-donation, after which you will receive one annually for the next ten years. Please return the completed questionnaire to our Followup Team coordinator. This will be checked in detail by the followup coordinator and you will be conacted immediately if there is anything that needs further clarification.
It also goes without saying that you’re welcome to call our Followup Team at any time during your follow-up monitoring. They will be happy to answer your questions and help wherever they can. You can reach them on +91 80 68286571
Frequently asked question follow up
What examinations are due after stem cell donation?
We will do a basic blood test to check if all the counts are returned to normal. Please find below the list of tests:
- Complete Blood Count with Differential
- Uric Acid
- ASAT/GOT
- ALAT/GPT
- Gamma GT
Why does the follow-up monitoring go on for so long?
DKMS-BMST is subject to the general standards of the WMDA World Marrow Donor Association -, which regulate how follow-up monitoring is carried out. At DKMS-BMST, the wellbeing of our donors is our top priority, so we monitor their health even more closely than actually required.
Why the blood tests?
After you’ve donated stem cells, your body will generate new ones to replace them within a few weeks. To make sure your blood count has returned to normal, you are asked to take a blood test four weeks after your donation.
How often do I have to have blood samples taken after donation?
Normally, you will only need one blood test, carried out four weeks after making your donation. The collection center physician might ask for further tests only if your blood count still needs monitoring at that stage.
Frequently asked question follow up
Where should I send my health and wellbeing questionnaire?
Please send all the questionnaires you receive after your donation to the Followup Team (followup@dkms-bmst.org) at DKMS-BMST.
Will I get feedback on every questionnaire I send in?
No, you won’t hear anything after your questionnaires unless we find something that needs further clarification. However, you can contact the followup team coordinator any time, even if your question does not relate directly to your follow-up monitoring.
When will DKMS contact me after my donation?
One of our staff will call you for a follow-up consultation shortly after your donation.
The followup team coordinator at DKMS-BMST will also contact you with a questionnaire six months after your donation, to start our donor follow-up monitoring, and will send further questionnaires to you annually for the next ten years. In the unlikely event that anything needs clarification, the followup team will contact you immediately.
I don’t want any more follow-up monitoring. What do I do?
If you don’t want to take part in our follow-up monitoring program anymore, please tell us on your questionnaire. Alternatively, you can also inform the followup team coordinator that you do not want to participate in followup monitoring program..
Frequently asked question follow up
I’d like to know how my recipient is doing. How can I find out?
If you’d like, after you’ve made your donation we can tell you a few details about the recipient of your stem cells during your follow-up consultation call. We will be able to tell you recipient’s age group, sex, and which country they had the transplant in. To find out more about contact between donors and patients, please contact the Followup Team at DKMS-BMST.
How long will I be monitored after my donation?
Donors are monitored for up to ten years after making their donation. The first check-in is carried out four weeks after the donation, the next at six months, and then once a year after that.
