Cleveland Clinic is the first hospital in North America to assist the birth of a baby that was formed in the transplanted uterus of a deceased donor.
The uterus, which was obtained from a deceased donor, was transplanted in late 2017. At the end of 2018, the mother, who is about 30 years old, became pregnant by in vitro fertilization.
July 2019, Cleveland.- For the first time in North America and second in the world, a baby from the uterus who had been transplanted from a deceased donor was born at Cleveland Clinic.
“We could not have asked for a better result. Everything worked wonders in childbirth; the mother and the baby are doing very well,” said Uma Perni, M.D., a specialist in maternal and fetal medicine at the Cleveland Clinic. “It is important to remember that this whole procedure is still being studied.
The field of uterus transplantation is evolving rapidly and it is exciting to see what options there will be for women in the future.”
Transplantation and childbirth are part of an ongoing clinical trial Uterine transplant for the treatment of infertility due to the uterine factor at Cleveland Clinic, which offers hope to women around the world who cannot give birth due to infertility due to the uterine factor.
It is estimated that, worldwide, 1 in 500 women of childbearing age are affected by this irreversible problem.
In June, the research team, composed of specialists in transplant surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, fertility, neonatology, bioethics, psychiatry, nursing, anesthesiology, infectious diseases, interventional radiology, patient defense, and social work, received the baby through Caesarean section.
The uterus, which was obtained from a deceased donor, was transplanted at the end of 2017. At the end of 2018, the mother, who is about 30 years old, became pregnant by in vitro fertilization.
“It was amazing how perfect this birth was, considering the extraordinary occasion,” said Andreas Tzakis, M.D., Ph. D., a transplant surgeon at Cleveland Clinic. “Through this research, our goal is to make these extraordinary events common for women who choose this option. We are grateful to the donor and her family, her generosity allowed our patient’s dream to come true and a new baby to be born.”
“Medicine is constantly evolving. I am honored to be part of a team that is dedicated to excellent patient care and the advancement of medicine. This clinical trial reflects the tradition of innovation in clinical medicine at Cleveland Clinic, ” said Tommaso Falcone, M.D., professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Cleveland Clinic and former president of the Obstetrics and Gynecology and Women’s Health Institute at Cleveland Clinic. “The teamwork that was needed to make this happen to our patient was extraordinary, I feel very proud.”
Since the Cleveland Clinic began the clinical trial, the team has completed five uterus transplants; three transplants were successful and two resulted in hysterectomies. Currently, two women are waiting for embryo transfer, while several more candidates are on the list for transplantation.
The goal is to enroll ten women between the ages of 21 and 39. Unlike similar research efforts in the USA. In the US, the Cleveland Clinic protocol requires that the uterus that is transplanted come from a deceased donor to eliminate the risk to a living and healthy donor.
For more information about the Cleveland Clinic uterus transplant program, visit: https://www.clevelandclinic.org/lp/uterus-transplant/index.html
At ClinicalTrials.gov you can find the details of the clinical trial on Transplantation of the uterus for the treatment of infertility due to the uterine factor.
About Cleveland Clinic
Cleveland Clinic is a nonprofit and academic specialty medical center that integrates clinical care and hospital care with research and education. Located in Cleveland, Ohio, the clinic was founded in 1921 by four renowned doctors with the vision of providing medical care to the patient based on the principles of cooperation, compassion, and innovation. Cleveland Clinic has pioneered many medical advances, including coronary revascularization surgery and the first face transplant in the United States. U.S. News & World Report frequently rates Cleveland Clinic as one of the best hospitals in the nation in its annual survey “The best hospitals in the United States.”
Among the 52,000 Cleveland Clinic employees, there are more than 3,600 doctors and researchers who work full-time salary and 14,000 nurses, all of whom are dedicated to 140 medical specialties and subspecialties.
The Cleveland Clinic health system includes a 165-acre main campus located near downtown Cleveland, eleven community hospitals, more than 150 outpatient clinics in northern Ohio – even 18 full-service health centers for family and three health and wellness centers– and facilities in Weston, Florida; The Vegas, Nevada; Toronto Canada; Abu Dhabi, UAE; and London, England.
In 2017, there were 7.6 million outpatient visits, 229,000 hospital admissions and 207,000 surgical cases throughout the Cleveland Clinic health system. Patients arrived to receive treatment from all states of the country and 185 countries. Visit us at clevelandclinic.org
