Uterus transplant for infertile women now offered at Cleveland Clinic

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A clinic in Cleveland is attempting to be the first medical institution in the United States to offer uterine transplant. The procedure is expected to benefit women with an infertility disorder.

The New York Times described the process in detail. Within 90 minutes, a team of six doctors will remove the uterus from a deceased organ donor.

Cleveland Clinic intends to conduct a trial involving 10 women aged 21-45 years with uterine factor infertility or IFU. For these women, the Cleveland Clinic says that natural pregnancy is not plausible as they are either "born without a uterus, have lost their uterus, or have a uterus that no longer functions."

"Although there appears to be potential for treating UFI with uterine transplantation, it is still considered highly experimental," Dr. Tommaso Falcone said in Cleveland Clinic's news release. Falcone is the department chair for the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department at the Cleveland Clinic.

"Cleveland Clinic has a history of innovation in transplant and reproductive surgery and will explore the feasibility of this approach for women in the United States."

Unlike other types of organ transplants, NBC Bay Area says uterine transplants are expected to be temporary. After giving birth to two children, surgeons will remove the uterus so that the patient can stop taking anti-rejection drugs.

Cleveland Clinic has stipulated a long list of other requirements for candidates wishing to take part in the trial. For one, the patient has to have their own ovaries.

The candidate will be given hormones to encourage her ovaries to produce several eggs. As ten will be required from the patient, she may have to undergo several cycles of treatment.

According to a report by The New York Times, the eggs will be frozen along with her partner's sperm. The candidate will be placed on a waiting list until the doctors can find a suitable donor with the same tissue and blood type as the candidate.

There are many risks to this procedure as the uterus is taken from a dead patient. In addition, the developing fetuses are also vulnerable to the effects of the anti-rejection drugs.

Although there are many associated risks to this procedure, it has been successfully performed before.

The University of Gothenburg in Sweden has successfully performed nine transplants with living donors.  In five of those cases, the uterus was taken from the patient's own mother.

Out of the group, four women have already given birth to premature but healthy babies.