6 Things To Know About Uterus Transplants In The U.S.

Ten women in the United States will soon be chosen to undergo the nation's first uterus transplants, as part of a study at the Cleveland Clinic. Doctors at the hospital hope to perform the first uterus transplant in the next few months, according to the New York Times. The procedure is still highly experimental, and not all of the risks are known. Here's what you need to know about uterus transplants: Who needs a uterus transplant? The new study will involve women with a condition called uterine factor infertility, which means they cannot become pregnant either because they were born without a uterus, or their uterus was removed by hysterectomy, or it was damaged by an injury or infection so that it no longer functions, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Women ages 21 to 45 are eligible for the study, but those 40 and older must have undergone fertility treatments to create and freeze embryos before they were 39, the Clinic says. About 1 in 4,500 women in the United States is born without a uterus - a condition known as Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome, according to the NIH. Has this been done before? Uterus transplants have been completed successful before, in Sweden. In a study done there, nine women received uterus transplants, five became pregnant, and four have given birth so far. However, unlike the study in Sweden, in which patients received uteruses that were donated by living relatives, the study at the Cleveland Clinic will use deceased donors....
Source: Science - The Huffington Post - Category: Science Source Type: news