First Transplant of Uterus Reported

The world's first uterus transplant has been reported by doctors in Saudi Arabia, who say the transplanted organ remained in good condition for 99 days. The procedure was described in the March, 2002 issue of the International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics.

Doctors at the King Fahd Hospital removed the uterus from a 46-year-old woman and transplanted it into a 26-year-old woman. The younger woman had undergone a hysterectomy six years earlier due to a hemorrhage after childbirth but desired to have another baby. She received anti-rejection drugs both before and after the surgery and also hormones to encourage the uterus to develop a normal lining. After 99 days, however, the transplanted uterus began to deteriorate and the doctors removed it. Tests showed that the deterioration was the result of a stoppage of blood flow to the uterus, which the doctors speculate may have happened because the organ was not adequately anchored, leading to a kinking of blood vessels.

The doctors said the procedure of transplanting a uterus is technically difficult due to the fact that the blood vessels that have to be stitched together are much smaller than those of other organs. They report that they practiced before the operation on 16 baboons and two goats. The transplantation has been criticized by some doctors as not being appropriate because the uterus is not a lifesaving organ, yet entails risks. Others, however, note that the procedure may make childbirth possible for women who have uterine abnormalities or who have had hysterectomies.