A woman in Brazil,w ho had been born without uterus gives birth to baby girl, after receiving a womb from a dead donor. The baby girl weighing 6.6 pounds was born by caesarean section, marks a milestone in fertility treatment.
Previous operations using wombs from live donors had some success, normally from close relatives. But all attempts from dead women have ended in failure. For the first time this procedure has been successful, after 10 unsuccessful attempts in the US, Czech Republic and Turkey
In September 2016 the 32-year old Brazilian woman offered a womb transplant at the Hospital das Clinicas in Sao Paulo. The organ was taken from a 45-year-old donor who had died from a brain bleed.
Surgeons spent nearly 11 hours plumbing in the womb by connecting veins, arteries, ligaments and vaginal canals.
Lead medic Dr Dani Ejzenberg, from the Faculty of Medicine at Sao Paulo University, said: “The use of deceased donors could greatly broaden access to this treatment, and our results provide proof-of-concept for a new option for women with uterine infertility.
“The first uterus transplants from live donors were a medical milestone, creating the possibility of childbirth for many infertile women.
“However, the numbers of people willing and committed to donate organs upon their own deaths are far larger, offering a much wider potential donor population.”
Seven months after surgery, the woman had eight fertilised eggs were implanted into the donor womb. The pregnancy went smoothly and a baby girl was delivered by caesarean section at just 35 weeks and three days on 15 December 2017.
Mr Richard Smith, a consultant gynaecologist at Queen Charlotte’s and Chelsea Hospital, London, leads the UK Womb Transplant Research Team. He said: “We are delighted to hear the news from Brazil”.
“This another first and further proof that womb transplants using organs from live donors or from donors who have just died, are a real option for some of the many, many women in the UK who do not have a viable womb and who until now, had no hope of bearing a child, he added.
>Juthy Saha
First Born after Womb Transplant from Deceased Donor
Will You Support Our Work?
People turns to WhatsOn to understand what's goingOn? We have been empowering through hope & understanding for the last forty years. We’re an independent social enterprise & our journalism is powered by our supporters. Financial contributions from our readers allows us to keep our journalism free for all & to change the world for better. Please support us, with your donation - no matter how small. Your donation makes a real difference, it empowers our activist & academy, and engages wider community groups, & universities - connecting more people. WhatsOn is a change maker, let’s get our future back together!
