Cleveland Clinic performs first uterus transplant in the US
The patient is in stable condition, but there's still a risk of complications.
Doctors in Cleveland have performed the first successful uterus transplant in the United States. But, once the 26 year-old recipient has one or two babies, the womb will be removed so she can stop taking medications that prevent her body from rejecting the foreign organ -- a very real risk that's haunted the procedure in the past. Her previously impossible pregnancy will rely on in vitro fertilization, using her eggs (harvested prior to the transplant) that've been fertilized with her husband's sperm and then frozen, according to The New York Times.
The patient will have to wait a year before that happens though, because she'll have to heal first. And based on past deliveries, it's highly likely that the patient will undergo a cesarean section for childbirth to prevent any injury either to the mother or child.
The organ came from a deceased donor, which has been done before, but still proves risky. A previous procedure in Turkey was thought to have been cleared because the recipient had six menstrual cycles following the procedure. The presiding doctors were cautious, however, and said they wouldn't call the operation a success until the patient gave birth. Sadly, that pregnancy terminated after eight weeks.
The Cleveland Clinic reports that its patient is in stable condition as of Thursday afternoon, but, aside from that, any further details are being withheld until a press conference next week.
