Last year, the center performed a total of 172 procedures, of which 155 were for adult patients and 17 for pediatric patients, according to data from the National Transplant Organization (ONT). Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation involves replacing damaged blood stem cells with healthy ones to restore bone marrow function.
There are two main types: autologous transplant, where cells come from the patient themselves, and allogeneic transplant, where cells are obtained from a donor. The latter includes subtypes based on compatibility and donor origin, as reported by the Generalitat.
Specifically, La Fe has performed 114 allogeneic transplants, 102 in adults and 12 in children. Of these, 55 came from compatible family donors and 59 from unrelated donors. These figures solidify the Valencian hospital as a "national benchmark" in this procedure, considered the "most complex" within hematological transplantation.
The complexity of allogeneic transplantation lies mainly in the difficulty of finding compatible donors and the potential immunological risks. One of the most relevant complications is graft-versus-host disease, where transplanted cells can attack certain recipient tissues, requiring close monitoring and immunosuppressive treatments.
“"These results reflect the consolidation of La Fe Hospital as one of the reference centers for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation nationally, and our accumulated experience allows us to continue increasing activity in allogeneic transplantation with increasingly satisfactory clinical results."
The consultant physician from the Hematopoietic Transplant Unit, Juan Montoro, highlighted that "from April 1978 to date, a total of 3,758 such transplants have been performed." This treatment is used for malignant hematological diseases like leukemias, lymphomas, or multiple myeloma, as well as non-malignant conditions such as aplastic anemia. In selected cases, it may also be indicated for severe autoimmune diseases.
Meanwhile, the manager of the Interdepartmental Health Group Valencia South and the Valencia La Fe Health Department, José Luis Poveda, emphasized that "the latest data from the ONT report confirm, once again, the prominent position of La Fe Hospital in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for the adult population, reflecting the coordinated work of the entire team and the center's consolidation as a national leader in this field."
