World’s First Successful Womb Transplant
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October 4, 2011 TheFreshOutlook  |
Doctors from the Akdeniz University Hospital have successfully implanted a womb from a donor into 21-year-old Derya Sert from Antalya.
Derya Sert, who was born without a uterus like one in 5,000 women in the world, is an example of hope for many women who want to have children after she successfully received a womb transplant on August 9 in Turkey.
This is not the first case of a womb transplant, as doctors performed a similar operation in Saudi Arabia in 2000, although this involved a live donor and the operation failed after 99 days.
Doctors believe that this recent operation was a success because they implanted the womb of a deceased donor, so they could take out a longer piece of tissue enfolding the womb and insert it accurately into Ms Sert’s body.
Her surgeon, Dr Omer Ozkan claims: “The surgery was a success … [but] we will be successful when she has her baby. For now we are happy that the tissue is living.”
Gynaecologist Dr Munire Erman Akar from Akdeniz University states: “We can see it from the ultrasound that the endomentrium lining is perfect.”
Ms Sert has also begun menstruating, a key indictor that the womb is working correctly.
Ms Sert said: “The womb has already become one of my own organs … We have been waiting for this day to come.”
Another reason Ms Sert’s operation was a success is due to enhancements in immunosuppressive drugs since the first attempt.
Dr Ozkan clams it will take nearly six months before Ms Sert can have the embryos produced prior to surgery implanted by IVF experts.
The doctors would like to take out her womb after Ms Sert has delivered a baby to avoid the possibility of rejection, unless she would like another child. “Of course it is the patient’s choice but my preference would be to remove it,” said Dr Ozkan.
Only three medical centres in the world work on womb transplants, the others being in Sweden and the US.
By Davina Qureshi
[Image courtesy of Best in Plastics]
