Scientists in Britain claim they will have the ability to undertake the first ever womb transplant in a matter of just two years. The researchers have found a way to transplant the womb with a satisfactory blood supply, which could give it enough time to carry a pregnancy to full term.
This pioneering procedure could mean the end to adoption or surrogacy for women whose wombs have been let damaged by disease. Approximately 15,000 women in the UK of childbearing age does not have a functioning womb.
Richard Smith, consultant gynaecological surgeon at Hammersmith Hospital in London, presented his latest findings from tests on rabbits at a US fertility conference. He now needs £225,000 to proceed with the next steps of the study, but so far grants have not been forthcoming.
Mr Smith and his team are hoping to raise funds through their charity, Uterine Transplant UK in time to proceed with the first human transplant within two years.
In tests so far, five rabbits were given a womb using a “vascular patch technique”, where major blood vessels could be connected. Two out of the five rabbits lived to 10 months, with post death testing revealing the transplants were successful.
There has been one case of a human womb transplant by Saudi surgeons in 200, however the womb shrivelled in mere months. Mr Smith suggests the reason for this was a lack of knowledge about how to connect the blood vessels correctly.
Mr Smith said, “There are certain technical issues to be ironed out but the crux of how to carry out a successful graft that’s properly vascularised – I think we’ve cracked that one.”
Although the medical profession did not seem interested in the research, there was clearly a strong demand from patients, said Mr Smith, “There’s a lot of dismissal in the profession in terms of this being a step too far in fertility management. But for a woman who is desperate for a baby, this is incredibly important.”
Mr Smith, added that the womb could be removed as soon as the women had finished bearing children, “The plan is that once a woman has had her children, the uterus comes out and she can come off immunosuppressants.”
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Scientists in Britain claim they will have the ability to undertake the first ever womb transplant in a matter of just two years. The researchers have found a way to transplant the womb with a satisfactory blood supply, which could give it enough time to carry a pregnancy to full term.
This pioneering procedure could mean the end to adoption or surrogacy for women whose wombs have been let damaged by disease. Approximately 15,000 women in the UK of childbearing age does not have a functioning womb.
Richard Smith, consultant gynaecological surgeon at Hammersmith Hospital in London, presented his latest findings from tests on rabbits at a US fertility conference. He now needs £225,000 to proceed with the next steps of the study, but so far grants have not been forthcoming.
Mr Smith and his team are hoping to raise funds through their charity, Uterine Transplant UK in time to proceed with the first human transplant within two years.
In tests so far, five rabbits were given a womb using a “vascular patch technique”, where major blood vessels could be connected. Two out of the five rabbits lived to 10 months, with post death testing revealing the transplants were successful.
There has been one case of a human womb transplant by Saudi surgeons in 200, however the womb shrivelled in mere months. Mr Smith suggests the reason for this was a lack of knowledge about how to connect the blood vessels correctly.
Mr Smith said, “There are certain technical issues to be ironed out but the crux of how to carry out a successful graft that’s properly vascularised – I think we’ve cracked that one.”
Although the medical profession did not seem interested in the research, there was clearly a strong demand from patients, said Mr Smith, “There’s a lot of dismissal in the profession in terms of this being a step too far in fertility management. But for a woman who is desperate for a baby, this is incredibly important.”
Mr Smith, added that the womb could be removed as soon as the women had finished bearing children, “The plan is that once a woman has had her children, the uterus comes out and she can come off immunosuppressants.”
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