TOPLINE:
Uterus transplants in women with absolute uterine-factor infertility resulted in a 70% success rate of women later giving birth.
METHODOLOGY:
- The study included 20 women with uterine-factor infertility, a condition in which women do not have a uterus or have one that is not functional; each patient had at least one functioning ovary and uterine abnormalities.
- All patients underwent womb transplantation at a large US specialized care center between 2016 and 2019.
- The transplant was performed using grafts from 18 living donors and two deceased donors.
- Patients received anti-rejection medication until the transplanted uterus was removed following one or two live births or graft failure.
- Researchers measured uterus graft survival and subsequent live births.
TAKEAWAY:
- Out of the 20 participants, 14 (70%) had successful uterus transplants and all 14 gave birth to at least one healthy infant.
- Half of the successful pregnancies had complications, which included gestational hypertension (14%), cervical insufficiency (14%), and preterm labor (14%).
- None of the 16 live-born infants had congenital malformations, and no developmental delays were observed as of May 2024.
- Four of the 18 living donors experienced grade 3 complications, including ureteral obstruction and thermal injury to the ureters.
IN PRACTICE:
“Uterus transplant was technically feasible and was associated with a high live birth rate following successful graft survival,” wrote the authors of the study. “Adverse events were common, with medical and surgical risks affecting recipients as well as donors.”
SOURCE:
The study was led by Giuliano Testa, MD, MBA, of Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, Texas, and was published online in JAMA Network.
LIMITATIONS:
The findings are based on data from a single center. The sample size was small. The high cost of uterus transplants limits generalizability.
DISCLOSURES:
No disclosures were reported.
This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication. A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.