First live birth after uterus transplantation in the United States

G. Testa, G. J. McKenna, R. T. Gunby, T. Anthony, E. C. Koon, A. M. Warren, J. M. Putman, L. Zhang, G. dePrisco, J. M. Mitchell, K. Wallis, G. B. Klintmalm, M. Olausson, L. Johannesson

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

167 Scopus citations

Abstract

Uterus transplantation has proven to be a successful treatment for women with absolute uterine infertility, caused either by the absence of a uterus or the presence of a nonfunctioning uterus. We report the first birth of a healthy child following uterus transplantation in the United States, from a recipient of a uterus allograft procured from an altruistic living donor. Two major modifications from the previously reported live births characterized this uterus transplant. First, the transplanted uterus relied upon and sustained the pregnancy while having only the utero-ovarian vein as venous outflow. The implication is a significantly simplified living donor surgery that paves the way for minimally invasive laparoscopic or robot-assisted techniques for the donor hysterectomy. Second, the time from transplantation to embryo transfer was significantly shortened from prior protocols, allowing for an overall shorter exposure to immunosuppression by the recipient and lowering the risk for potential adverse effects from these medications.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1270-1274
Number of pages5
JournalAmerican Journal of Transplantation
Volume18
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - May 2018
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • clinical research/practice
  • obstetrics and gynecology
  • quality of life (QOL)
  • reproductive biology
  • vascularized composite and reconstructive transplantation

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Immunology and Allergy
  • Transplantation
  • Pharmacology (medical)

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