For the first time in 13 years, doctors in Kyiv performed bone marrow transplantation to an adult patient from a relative, the press service of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine has said.

"For the first time in the past 13 years, Ukrainian doctors transplanted bone marrow into an adult from a relative. The patient was 18-year-old Oleksandr Tsymbaliuk from Prykarpattia region. Today, April 23, after a successful operation, he was discharged from Kyiv Center for Bone Marrow Transplantation," the ministry said on Facebook.

The patient was reportedly diagnosed with a severe form of aplastic anemia in December 2020. The only treatment option was bone marrow transplantation. His 20-year-old brother became the donor.

"The collection of cells took place on March 16, 2021 at the Okhmadyt National Children's Specialized Hospital. On March 17, after a 13-year break, bone marrow transplantation was performed into an adult patient from a donor. On April 23, on the 36th day after the operation, Oleksandr Tsymbaliuk was discharged from Kyiv Center for Bone Marrow Transplantation," the Ministry of Health said.

It is noted that Kyiv Center for Bone Marrow Transplantation is the only place in the country where such operations were performed. Since 2003, six of them have been made, the last one in 2008. After that, due to the lack of specific equipment, they were forced to stop. Since then, adult Ukrainians with blood cancer and aplastic anemia, even having a donor among their relatives, have been forced to go abroad.

In 2020, some 138 adult patients were sent abroad for bone marrow transplantation using funds from the Ministry of Health of Ukraine. The cost of one operation was over UAH 3.5 million.

Now transplantations in Ukraine are fully paid by the Ministry of Health. The cost of bone marrow transplantation at Kyiv Center for Bone Marrow Transplantation amounted to UAH 1.360 million.