Does donor have to have same blood type ?
 

I was told that the donor for BMT does not have to have the same blood type, is this true ? I was told that if we had different blood types then my blood type would change to donors type.

While it is not necessary for the blood type to match it does make the transplant easier according to my doctor. My donor was a ten for ten match with same blood type. And Gender and race are also a determiner. I ideal is the all match.. But the 10 for 10 and blood type can be addressed and can be worked around as I understood it.

From what I've read, having a matched blood type is of little or no importance for a full transplant because the recipient's old immune system is eliminated or vastly weakened by radiation and/or chemo so it can't attack new blood cells of another type, while blood cells produced by the old immune system are being replaced anyway. However, a blood type match might have a slight advantage if all other facts are equal.

Matching a donor and recipient depends much more on HLA matches. HLA matches are more common within your same ethnic background but otherwise race does not matter.

A female donor who has had pregnancies is a second choice to one who has not been pregnant or to a male donor, other things being equal.

For a CMV negative recipient, a CMV negative donor is better. A CMV positive recipient can have either a CMV positive or CMV negative donor.

Family members are preferred to unrelated donors with an equal measured match, since other (unmeasured) factors may also match.

Cam & Neil
 

Thanks for the info on blood types. I haven't heard anything from IU Med Center yet about them finding a donor. I know it can take a while but I would just like to know they had a few prospects.
I would like to have a new blood type & get rid of the antibodies I have in my blood now.

Hi.. I had my transplant on march 6th this year. My original blood type was B+ and my donor was A+ and unfortunately only an 8/10 match but my time had run out hoping for a better match. Currently my blood type is in the process of changing over and while my white blood counts and platelets are in normal range I am struggling to make red blood cells. So when needed for time being I get transfusions with 0 type blood (the universal type). Doctors are happy so far and consider this normal and even said he didn't expect me to start converting so soon. I am only day +60 so haven't had a biopsy yet to show definitely what is happening in there. I know the doctor said they would watch me for longer & closer because I had a 'mismatch transplant'. So while definitely not ideal, for me it was worth a shot! Good luck finding a match.