The first uterus transplant in the U.S. took place on Wednesday, Feb. 24 in a grueling nine-hour surgery at Cleveland Clinic in Ohio.
The Patient
The uterus beneficiary is a 26-year-old woman whose identity has not been revealed to maintain privacy. Doctors say she is in a stable condition as of Thursday afternoon.
The organ transplanted to her came from a deceased donor.
More Information To Come
Information about the surgery is still very limited and Cleveland Clinic does not plan to release additional information at least until this week is through.
"Cleveland Clinic will be making no further comments at this time," the statement reads.
The team of obstetricians and gynecologic surgeons involved in the operation will make themselves available to the media to answer questions in a news conference, which will be scheduled next week.
Uterus Transplant
Uterus transplant is recommended for patients diagnosed with Uterine Factor Infertility (UFI), which is a permanent condition that affects approximately 3 to 5 percent of women in the world.
Patients with UFI may either lack uterus since birth or have a uterus that is no longer functional.
Uterus Transplant Screening
In 2015, Cleveland Clinic initiated screenings for possible uterus transplant recipients that can participate in a clinical trial.
The study team is composed of obstetricians, gynecologists, psychiatrists, bioethicists, nurses and social workers, who still perform continuous screenings.
Not The First In The World
The recent operation may be the first in the U.S., but not in the world.
The first two uterus transplants were unsuccessful due mainly to organ rejection when the patient became pregnant.
A group of Swedish researchers was able to manage possible organ rejections after performing years of in-depth studies and clinical trials.
In Sept. 2014, a team from the University of Gothenberg performed the birth of the first baby coming from a mother with transplanted uterus. So far, this group has conducted a total of nine uterus transplants, five pregnancies and four live births.
