Cleveland Clinic surgeons made history on Feb. 24 when they performed the first uterus transplant in the U.S. during a nine-hour procedure. On Monday, the experts who conducted the transplant held a press conference to discuss the details and outcomes of the surgery.
Cleveland Clinic CEO and President Toby Cosgrove, MD, lead the conference and praised the surgery team. According to Dr. Cosgrave, the team involved with the transplant includes 70 people, including eight surgeons.
"This has been a research project that brings hope for women and families who wish to experience pregnancy and bear children," said Dr. Cosgrove. "I'm extremely proud of this organization and this team that has come together with this amazing accomplishment."
To watch the full press conference, see the video below.
Here are some highlights from the experts involved in the uterus transplant.
1. The procedure marked the culmination of 10 years of research conducted by transplant surgeon and principal investigator Andreas Tzakis, MD. According to Dr. Tzakis, "Our main objective with this [procedure] is to make our patient fertile and keep her healthy and have a healthy baby. And then we want to learn from this procedure so we can perfect it and do it as efficiently and safely as possible."
2. Dr. Tzakis estimates there are 50,000 U.S. women with uterine factor infertility who can conceivably be helped with a transplant.
3. The team will monitor the patient for one year following the surgery, to ensure she is not rejecting the transplant, before transferring any embryos into the uterus, according to Tommaso Falcone, MD.
4. OB-GYN Rebecca Flyckt, MD, says Cleveland Clinic still has a lot of work to do. "Of course we are excited to get this first surgery behind us, but we still have nine more transplants to go and, with each new transplant, we learn something new that we can move ahead with and hopefully refine our process to make it better."
5. Ruth Farrell, MD, spoke to the larger implications of the procedure saying, "When we think about uterine transplant, this is not a life-threatening condition, but it's a life-altering condition. Having children and families is one of the most foundational decisions we make as individuals, and that's why I think this procedure is important."
More articles on transplants:
First uterus transplant in US performed at Cleveland Clinic
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