What are risks of bone marrow donation?

Bone Marrow Harvest: Bone marrow harvesting for donating bone marrow is performed under general anesthesia and subjects the donor to the same risks of general anesthesia. After the procedure, the donor could experience any of the following: blood loss anemia, pain at the hips, bleeding, infection, hematomas, low blood pressure, fatigue, etc. Majority of healthy donors recover quickly and can be fine within a few days.

Stem cell collection: Some times stem cells for transplant can be collected from an IV in your arm. This process involves a medication, g-csf, which increases the stem cells. This medication can cause flu-like symptoms and bone pain. Then the cells are taken, similar to giving blood or platelets.