Another successful pregnancy after a uterus transplant from a deceased donor

For the second time, Cleveland Clinic has brought to term a pregnancy in a uterus transplanted from a deceased donor.

In early 2019, 31-year-old Michelle underwent a successful 14-hour transplant of a uterus from a deceased donor, and became pregnant through in vitro fertilisation at the end of 2019.

This transplant and birth are part of Cleveland Clinic’s ongoing clinical trial, “Uterine Transplantation for the Treatment of Uterine Factor Infertility“.

With this technique, Cleveland Clinic offers hope to women around the world who cannot have a baby because of uterine factor infertility. An estimated 1 in 500 women of childbearing age worldwide are affected by this irreversible condition.

Cleveland Clinic transplant surgeon Cristiano Quintini, M.D., is the principal investigator for the clinical trial.

A team of caregivers spent four years preparing Michelle, who was born without a uterus, a condition known as uterine factor infertility (UFI), to become a mother. In March, the research team, made up of specialists in transplant surgery, obstetrics and gynaecology, fertility, neonatology, bioethics, psychiatry, nursing, anaesthesiology, infectious diseases, interventional radiology, pharmacy, patient advocacy and social work, welcomed baby Cole by caesarean section.

In 2015, Cleveland Clinic transplant surgeon Andreas Tzakis, M.D., Ph.D., led the first uterus transplant in the United States, which was also one of the first in the world.

Since Cleveland Clinic began the clinical trial, the team has completed eight uterus transplants; six were successful and two resulted in hysterectomies shortly after transplantation.

The aim is to enrol ten women aged between 21 and 39. Unlike similar research efforts in the United States, Cleveland Clinic’s protocol requires the transplanted uterus to come from a deceased donor to eliminate the risk to a healthy living donor.