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| America's first uterus transplant may have failed but surgery still offers hope | America's first uterus transplant may have failed but surgery still offers hope |
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| The first uterus transplant in the US may have had failed this week, but one leading doctor says the development of the procedure is “an amazing technology” despite the risks. | The first uterus transplant in the US may have had failed this week, but one leading doctor says the development of the procedure is “an amazing technology” despite the risks. |
| Only a day after surgeons at the Cleveland Clinic introduced the woman who received the uterus transplant, they announced the procedure had failed following a sudden complication. The patient survived and is identified as a 26-year old woman named Lindsey. She had the transplant removed weeks after the initial surgery on 24 February. | Only a day after surgeons at the Cleveland Clinic introduced the woman who received the uterus transplant, they announced the procedure had failed following a sudden complication. The patient survived and is identified as a 26-year old woman named Lindsey. She had the transplant removed weeks after the initial surgery on 24 February. |
| The complication and removal surgery showed uterine transplants carry many risks, said Carolyn Alexander, a reproductive specialist at the Southern California Reproductive Center. Alexander said because the uterus is a vascular organ, a major risk is collateral blood flow and bodily rejection. | The complication and removal surgery showed uterine transplants carry many risks, said Carolyn Alexander, a reproductive specialist at the Southern California Reproductive Center. Alexander said because the uterus is a vascular organ, a major risk is collateral blood flow and bodily rejection. |
| “There’s a lot of potential for the body to think it’s a foreign thing,” she said. | “There’s a lot of potential for the body to think it’s a foreign thing,” she said. |
| The Cleveland Clinic did not provide information about the complication, which took place after the first of 10 transplants planned as a clinical trial. If any of the transplants are successful, the procedure could make pregnancies possible for women who were born without a uterus or lost their uterus to disease or an accident. | The Cleveland Clinic did not provide information about the complication, which took place after the first of 10 transplants planned as a clinical trial. If any of the transplants are successful, the procedure could make pregnancies possible for women who were born without a uterus or lost their uterus to disease or an accident. |
| “It gives them at least some hope that there are options,” Alexander said. | “It gives them at least some hope that there are options,” Alexander said. |
| But after the transplant, patients have to stay on immunosuppression medications to ward off rejection of the organ throughout their pregnancies, Alexander said. The continuous dosage of the medications could put the pregnancies at a higher risk of infection or complication. | But after the transplant, patients have to stay on immunosuppression medications to ward off rejection of the organ throughout their pregnancies, Alexander said. The continuous dosage of the medications could put the pregnancies at a higher risk of infection or complication. |
| “Safety is foremost on my mind in terms of doing this,” Alexander said. “All of us in the science world are like, ‘This is so exciting,’ but a part of me thinks that if the first patient gets sick or has problems, it’s kind of hard to justify.” | “Safety is foremost on my mind in terms of doing this,” Alexander said. “All of us in the science world are like, ‘This is so exciting,’ but a part of me thinks that if the first patient gets sick or has problems, it’s kind of hard to justify.” |
| Despite the risks of uterine transplants, Alexander said the development of the procedure is “an amazing technology”. | Despite the risks of uterine transplants, Alexander said the development of the procedure is “an amazing technology”. |
| “The institutions that are starting it are being very methodical and cautious by calling it a pilot study of the first 10,” she said, referring to the clinic’s trial. “It’s brilliant, because then people won’t think it’s the accepted standard of care.” | “The institutions that are starting it are being very methodical and cautious by calling it a pilot study of the first 10,” she said, referring to the clinic’s trial. “It’s brilliant, because then people won’t think it’s the accepted standard of care.” |
| She cautioned while it’s important to advance science, “we have to recognize that we should do no harm”. | She cautioned while it’s important to advance science, “we have to recognize that we should do no harm”. |
| The foray in the US into uterine transplants gives hope to women such as Sara Krish, who lost her uterus after being diagnosed with cervical cancer. Krish, 33, said she froze 18 eggs before her uterus was removed and had planned to use a surrogate to carry her child. | The foray in the US into uterine transplants gives hope to women such as Sara Krish, who lost her uterus after being diagnosed with cervical cancer. Krish, 33, said she froze 18 eggs before her uterus was removed and had planned to use a surrogate to carry her child. |
| “To have [a pregnancy] as a possibility coming back into my life is insane,” said Krish, who lives in the Los Angeles area. “It started off as hearing my diagnosis and I thought I would never be a mother, ever. Now I can put a uterus inside me.” | “To have [a pregnancy] as a possibility coming back into my life is insane,” said Krish, who lives in the Los Angeles area. “It started off as hearing my diagnosis and I thought I would never be a mother, ever. Now I can put a uterus inside me.” |
| For the Cleveland Clinic’s trial, each study participant went through in vitro fertilization (IVF) to bank six to 10 embryos. If future transplants hold, each woman will be monitored for a year and will then have the embryos transferred one by one until a healthy pregnancy is reached. Babies will be born by C-section. The uterus transplants are expected to carry up to two pregnancies before being removed. | For the Cleveland Clinic’s trial, each study participant went through in vitro fertilization (IVF) to bank six to 10 embryos. If future transplants hold, each woman will be monitored for a year and will then have the embryos transferred one by one until a healthy pregnancy is reached. Babies will be born by C-section. The uterus transplants are expected to carry up to two pregnancies before being removed. |
| Sweden is the only country where uterine transplants have been conducted successfully. Nine women have had them and four have given birth to healthy, if premature babies. Two transplants failed and had to be removed, one because of an infection and the other because of a blood clot. | Sweden is the only country where uterine transplants have been conducted successfully. Nine women have had them and four have given birth to healthy, if premature babies. Two transplants failed and had to be removed, one because of an infection and the other because of a blood clot. |
| Krish said the challenges and length of the procedure do not sway her away from the transplant. Because she froze her eggs at the age of 30, her eggs will “always be 30 years old”. | Krish said the challenges and length of the procedure do not sway her away from the transplant. Because she froze her eggs at the age of 30, her eggs will “always be 30 years old”. |
| “I don’t have a time crunch,” she said. “Five years from now, I’ll be roughly 40 years old, and if that’s when they’ve figured out all the science, and I’ve gotten my body in the best shape to go through the process, it can be down the road. When something is taken away from you and now it’s returning, that kind of outweighs all the other stuff.” | “I don’t have a time crunch,” she said. “Five years from now, I’ll be roughly 40 years old, and if that’s when they’ve figured out all the science, and I’ve gotten my body in the best shape to go through the process, it can be down the road. When something is taken away from you and now it’s returning, that kind of outweighs all the other stuff.” |