For the second time in France, a uterus transplant has been successfully performed, after a successful first transplant in March 2019 in a patient who is now expecting her second child.
“The transplant of this new 36-year-old patient was performed from the uterus of her older sister, with a minimally invasive surgery,” explained Professor Jean-Marc Ayoubi, head of the department of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive medicine at the Foch hospital. of Suresnes (Hauts-de-Seine).
Patient born without a uterus
This nearly 18-hour uterine transplant took place a month ago. The recipient of the transplant suffered from Rokitansky syndrome (MRKH), responsible for infertility due to uterine agenesis (she was born without a uterus), and which affects approximately one in 4,000 female births.
The uterus is the organ of gestation: it is where the embryo develops. Without this organ, pregnancy is not possible. In March 2019, Professor Ayoubi and his team had already performed a first transplant on a woman, Déborah Berlioz, who suffered from the same syndrome.
She received her mother’s uterus and later became pregnant through an embryo transfer.
“Around 80 uterus transplants have been performed around the world so far,” says Professor Ayoubi. “A living, voluntary and related donor is needed (whether family or close) and of course we do immunological compatibility tests,” he adds.
After the success of the first transplant, the Covid had slowed down his research project, started more than 15 years ago and the result of an international collaboration with the team of Professor Mats Branstrum, from the University of Gothenburg (Sweden).
“Before the transplant, any hope of one day becoming pregnant was totally forbidden for me”
For the Foch Hospital teams, this new medical intervention brings hope to patients born without a uterus or who have uterine infertility caused by a hysterectomy (removal of the uterus) or a non-functional uterus.
For her part, Déborah Berlioz, 37, is expecting a second child. After giving birth, scheduled for next March, she will have the transplanted uterus removed, which requires her to undergo anti-rejection treatment.
“The clinical trial in which I participated authorized a maximum of two pregnancies in five years,” he said. After a “miraculous” first pregnancy, she is delighted to expect a second “bonus” baby: “Before the transplant, any hope of ever getting pregnant was totally forbidden for me.”
Source: BFM TV
