Eight children born after uterus transplants
Eight children were born – and the first robot-assisted operation was performed. These are some of the results of 18 years of research at Sahlgrenska Academy on uterus transplants. In Gothenburg, the elite of the research world in the field are now gathering for their first congress.
Uterine infertility is the kind of female infertility that has had no treatment. More than 200,000 women in Europe are estimated to have uterine infertility.
The first transplant attempt with a living donor was made in Saudi Arabia in 2000. The uterus had to be removed shortly after the procedure.
In 2011, a transplant was done in Turkey with a uterus from a brain-dead patient. Several embryo return attempts were reported. Two early pregnancies ended in miscarriage bleeding. No other pregnancy has been reported.
Operations 2-11 in the world with living donors were done at Sahlgrenska Academy in the scope of the world’s first systematic and scientifically based study. In 2014, the first child was born.
In a new research project, the possibilities of robot-assisted operations are being studied. The project comprises ten operations of which five will be this year.
Donors, recipients, partners and children are monitored for a long time both medically, psychologically and from a quality of life perspective.
Professor Mats Brännström estimates that in recent years, there have been up to 20 more operations in the world. The idea is that the ISUTx congress and an international register will contribute to a better overview and to a scientific way to drive the field of research forward with the aim of increasing safety for patients and the effectiveness of the treatment.