A pioneering operation, which gives hope to hundreds of women who are at risk of losing their fertility due to a serious illness, took place in our country. Doctors transplanted autologous ovarian tissue in a woman’s ovaries which were destroyed by chemotherapy, and now the 39-year-old is pregnant with her first child today.

“My hematologist told me that unfortunately I will never be able to have a child, because the chemotherapy was very strong,” Irini Koka told SKAI.

And yet, thanks to the pioneering ovarian tissue transplant, the 39-year-old is pregnant with her first child today.

“My dream came truewe are waiting for the baby” he told Louisa Krondiris.

Irini first developed hematological cancer in 2008 at the age of just 23. He overcame it then, but 4.5 years later, in 2013, the cancer returned much more aggressively and he had to undergo a bone marrow transplant and strong chemotherapy.

“I had a heart attack they brought me back to life after 1 minute (gets emotional) and I was hearing my mom’s voices and I said I’m going to make it and I’m going to be here, a winner, just for my parents and I said I’m going to make it and I did I came to…”

Before chemotherapy she wanted to freeze eggs, however, there was not the required time. Then her gynecologist suggested that she freeze the cortex of her ovaries. A procedure done laparoscopically in 1 day. After her recovery in 2021, the doctors placed the tissue back in her ovaries damaged by chemotherapy, which after 8 whole years started producing eggs again.

“We transplanted the ovarian tissue that we had frozen several years ago, her ovaries functioned again. One by one we collected the eggs, fertilized them, froze them, the embryo transfer took place in October and she is currently pregnant” pointed out to SKAI the gynecologist Konstantinos Pantos.

This is the first pregnancy in our country after an ovarian tissue transplant. The transplant was even broadcast live for educational purposes in 13 public hospitals of the country.

Greece will now be 1 of only 29 countries worldwide in which women can have a child after an ovarian tissue transplant. Since the first pregnancy in 2004, 210 children have been born this way worldwide.

Asked how close we are to having a similar transplant in public hospitals as well, the director of the “Elena Venizelou” In Vitro Fertilization Unit Nikolaos Paparistidis pointed out “I don’t think it will be long, I believe it will happen very soon.”.

“I recommend it to all the girls who have fought, are fighting not to give up their dreams and hope is born» pointed out Irini Koka.