Uterus transplant enables women with uterine-factor infertility to have children: JAMA

USA: Uterus transplant is an effective infertility treatment for women with uterine-factor infertility (UFI) and enables successful gestation and delivery of children. Also, it is safe for the recipient, living donor, and child, states an article published in JAMA Surgery.

Uterus transplant is a new and rapidly evolving surgical therapy that enables women with absolute uterine-factor infertility (AUFI) to successfully gestate and deliver children, which was previously considered untreatable. AUFI affects about 3-5% of the population. It is a form of infertility whereby conception and/or maintenance of pregnancy is impossible, due to either an abnormality of the uterus or a complete lack of uterus. Uterus transplant uniquely restores reproductive ability and enables gestation and childbirth. Increased data regarding outcomes following uterus transplant are essential to counsel individuals with AUFI to evaluate all available pathways to parenthood.

Liza J, Baylor University Medical Center, Texas, and colleagues conducted a study to review transplant and birth outcomes of uterus transplant recipients.

Researchers collected 5 years of uterus transplant outcome data from the 3 centers performing uterus transplants in the US. A total of 33 women (mean (SD) age  31 (4.7) years) with absolute uterine-factor infertility who underwent uterus transplants were included in the study. Most uterus transplant recipients had a congenitally absent uterus [94%], and (64%) received organs from living donors. The main Outcomes were set as Graft survival, live birth, and neonatal outcome.