First Uterus Transplant in U.S. Bolsters Pregnancy Hopes of Many
Posted on February 27, 2016
Source:
The New York Times
February 2016 - Surgeons at the Cleveland Clinic have performed the first uterus transplant in the United States.
The operation, which took nine hours, was performed using a uterus from a deceased organ donor. The recipient, 26, is not being identified to protect her privacy.
The procedure’s purpose is to enable women born without a uterus, or who had theirs removed, to become pregnant and give birth. The patient will have to wait a year before trying to become pregnant, letting her heal and giving doctors time to adjust the doses of medication she needs to prevent organ rejection.
Then she will need in vitro fertilization to become pregnant. Before the transplant, the patient had eggs removed surgically, fertilized with her husband’s sperm and frozen. The embryos will be transferred into her uterus.
The transplant will be temporary: The uterus will be removed after the recipient has had one or two babies, so she can stop taking anti-rejection drugs.