This is the process of the uterus transplant

From 1954, in which the first renal transplant was performed, through 1967 in which the first heart transplant was performed by the controversial Dr. Christian Barnard, different organs have been added to the list of possible transplants, such as the lungs, liver, bone marrow, etc. The discovery of immunosuppressive treatments, such as cyclosporine, which prevent transplanted organs from being rejected, has contributed greatly to this success.

Numerous famous people like José Manuel Rodríguez 'The Puma', who was transplanted from both lungs due to a disease called pulmonary fibrosis; the singer Raphael, which was liver transplanted; or the winner of the Eurovision festival, Salvador Sobral, owe health and life to this type of treatment.

Recently, we were surprised by the news that the second corpse donor uterus transplant has been performed in the US. A year ago, the first one had already taken place in Brazil. This has been a great success, since there had been some previous negative experience. It was in Turkey and ended in a premature abortion due to complications. The case has been published in prestigious scientific journals such as 'The Lanzet' and has traveled around the world quickly. The human ability to transplant the organ in which the miracle of the arrival of a new life is brewing is a feat that never ceases to amaze us.

People say that one in five women suffer from uterine cause infertility. This may be due to congenital anomalies, such as the absence of a uterus, uterine tumors or rare syndromes, among others. Until recently it had been a cause of infertility, difficult to treat in certain circumstances. In Sweden, transplants of the uterus had been performed but of living donors, that is, uterus donated by friends or relatives altruistically.

The power perform a transplant from a cadaver donor, for example, of a person who has died in a traffic accident or a stroke, has meant a qualitative change. From now on there may be more donors available for these cases, since as it is evident, obtaining a living donor from a uterus is not an easy thing.

The procedure

Once an ideal donor is obtained, the uterus transplant is performed and an immunosuppressive treatment begins immediately to avoid rejection of the transplanted organ. In vitro fertilization techniques are used, implanting embryos in it. Once the pregnancy comes to an end, A caesarean section is performed in which the fetus is removed while the uterus is removed. Thus, immunosuppressive treatment can be withdrawn, which has many side effects for both the mother and the child.

It goes without saying that Spain is one of the leading countries in these techniques. The ONT, which is the National Transplant Organization, among other things, is responsible for coordinating the procedures, managing the waiting lists of the different bodies, as well as the suitability of the donors. Thanks to her we are the country in the world with the highest donor rate per million inhabitants. In our country there are various groups interested in uterus transplantation and it is possible that the first one will be performed soon.

It is a very difficult drink for a person to endure the moment when they tell him that the disease he suffers has no possible treatment and also for medical professionals we have been through this situation, multiple times, it is the saying. In certain cases, the only possible treatment for a terminal phase disease is transplantation. Fortunately, we have these techniques, thanks to the work of thousands of professionals.