First uterus transplant in US fails

by Austin Stallings
Gayly Intern

CLEVELAND – Cleveland Clinic surgeons are investigating what went wrong with the first uterine transplant in the United States. Initially, the 26-year-old was excited undergo the breakthrough surgery, and appeared to be recovering well in the aftermath. But according to a hospital statement Wednesday, the patient experienced a sudden complication.

The recipient, identified by the Associated Press only as Lindsey, said she was already a mother to three "beautiful little boys" adopted through foster care, and that she was told when she was 16 that she would not be able to bear children.

"From that moment on, I've prayed that God would allow me the opportunity to experience pregnancy," she said.

Lindsey would have had to wait up to a year before a pregnancy could be attempted.

"We must remember a uterine transplant is not just about a surgery and about moving a uterus from here to there. It's about having a healthy baby," said Cleveland Clinic surgeon Dr. Rebecca Flyckt before the operation.

The concept of womb transplants began in Sweden, and the first successful birth was reported in 2014. Since then, there have been a total of five healthy babies born from nine transplants so far. The team of transplant specialists at the Cleveland Clinic had been exploring the possibility of performing these procedures for 10 years, trained with the original Swedish surgeons.

Undeterred by complications, the hospital plans to continue its clinical trial that aims to complete 10 uterus transplants.

The Gayly – 3/9/2016 @ 3:27 p.m. CST