Opinion – Julio Abramczyk: Uterine transplantation

Organ transplants in humans remain with significant advances. In recent years, the highlight was the area of ​​reproductive surgery.

In Jama Surgery, report presents the results of uterus transplants in the United States since 2016.

The study included 33 women who underwent transplantation from 2016 to 2021. Of the 33 uterine recipients, 31 were born without a uterus, and 21 patients received the organ from a living donor.

Until September last year, 19 of the 33 beneficiaries of the surgical intervention had conceived 21 live births.

The average birth weight of the baby was 2,800 g and none of the neonates had congenital malformations.

In the Revista da Associação Médica Brasileira, Ana Flávia Garcia Silva and Luiz Fernando Pina Carvalho published a review of studies on uterus transplantation.

The authors refer that it was in Sweden, in 2012, that the first uterus transplants were successfully performed. The team led by physician M. Brännström operated on nine patients with congenital absence of uterus and one with previous hysterectomy (surgical removal of the uterus).

Two patients, due to thrombosis, could not take advantage of the transplants and the remaining seven began to have menstrual cycles three months after the operation and maintained normal cycles in the first year.
According to the authors, this surgical intervention is complex because it combines solid organ transplantation principles with assisted reproduction technique.

Its objective is to promote fertility and improve the patient’s quality of life, not necessarily to prolong it.

For this reason, if necessary and after reaching the objective of the operative intervention, the organ can be removed.