When the soft, fatty tissue inside the bones is damaged or destroyed, it is necessary to replace the marrow with a transplant. A bone marrow transplant, or BMT, is the procedure doctors use to remove the damaged tissue and put in new, healthy tissue. Since bone marrow contains stem cells, it is important to fix the damage early to ensure the body is able to repair other problems in the future.

A bone marrow transplant is a type of medical procedure that is performed around the world. While the transplant is covered by most insurance companies, the procedure is pricy. In some cases, it might be advisable to seek a transplant overseas with a U.S. trained doctor because the cost is reduced and some insurance companies will cover foreign procedures.