Uterus transplant: who needs it and in which cases does it apply?

2023-05-22 21:36:10

Advances in medicine and technology always become a trend to achieve crossing the limits that were previously considered unthinkable, we tell you about the uterus transplant: who needs it and in which cases does it apply?

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How does the uterus transplant work?

Although for a long time there was doubt as to whether or not it was possible to do this procedure, reality has shown that it is possible.

According to the Journal of Reproductive Medicine and Clinical EmbryologySince the uterus is not a vital organ, its transplant only serves to benefit a specific objective of the person concerned.

Uterus transplantation is a surgical procedure in which a healthy uterus is transplanted into the body of a patient who does not have a uterus or who has fertility problems.

The ultimate purpose of this procedure is that the recipient of the healthy uterus can become pregnant. The process is considered successful until the person gives birth to the child.

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Who needs a uterus transplant?

To talk about him uterus transplant: who needs it and in which cases does it apply? You should know that in reality, a uterus transplant is not a necessary procedure to alleviate any disease, since it is an intervention carried out with the aim of gestating.

In other words, although no one needs this procedure as such, it has been carried out in women with fertility problems such as Rokitansky syndrome, which affects one in 5,000 women and has the peculiarity that women are born without a uterus, fallopian tubes and ovaries.

Although this procedure has also been carried out in women who due to other people’s issues such as diseases or injuries in the female reproductive system.

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How effective is the uterus transplant?

According to a study published by the surgery magazine “JAMA”about 74% of the people who received a uterus in the 5 years that this procedure has been in force, reported having a healthy and functioning organ in the United States.

On the other hand, 83% of people who reported a successful procedure revealed that they were able to carry and deliver live, healthy babies. All babies were delivered by caesarean section.

The usefulness of this procedure usually ends when the person manages to give birth to a baby, that is when a limited time is allowed to pass and the transplanted uterus is removed so that the person does not develop complications from having it or from the immunosuppressants that were consumed. during the adaptation time of the organ.

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What are the risks of a uterus transplant?

Despite being a procedure that is capable of transforming many lives, the risks such as the body rejecting the uterus should not be ignored, in addition to the fact that many of the pregnancies of people who received a uterus reported having preeclampsia.

In addition, when an organ is received, it is necessary to administer immunosuppressants, which have nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, diarrhea or mouth sores as side effects.

It is important to note that the intake of immunosuppressants is necessary to reduce the chances of rejection of a transplanted organ, however, taking these medications makes the person more prone to contracting diseases, because it weakens the immune system, therefore they should exercise caution.

People who consume immunosuppressants should limit contact with sick people, in addition to extreme personal hygiene and food preparation.

Not to mention, many of the babies born from transplanted wombs have been premature or have required medical assistance to survive the first few months.

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Can trans women have a uterus transplant?

One of the biggest challenges for trans people is being able to conceive, and seeing the results that these procedures have had in many women, the question arises: Does this open the door for trans women to become pregnant?

The answer to this question is initially no, however, there are conflicting opinions among specialists who say that it is only a matter of five to ten years for this to be possible and who say that this is a certain death sentence.

Despite everything, in 2022, a plastic surgeon named Narendra Kaushikh assured that he plans to carry out the first uterus transplant for a trans person.

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The doctor pointed out that he will receive the donated uterus from either a living or dead patient, and that his goal is to make the sexual transition complete in every way.

Even with the optimism of the surgeon, the feasibility of this surgery does not seem to be a near reality for transgender and transsexual people.

As you can see, the uterus transplant is something quite recent and is not without controversy, since many people assure that the risk is too high because it compromises the health of women as well as babies to satisfy a need that, according to what they affirm, it may well be covered with alternatives such as adoption.

In addition to considering it an expensive, risky and unnecessary procedure because in the end, once pregnant, the body has to undergo a new intervention to extract the donated uterus.

Now that you know more about the uterus transplant, who needs it and in which cases it applieswe remind you that no genetic condition or preferences is a justification for exercising discrimination.

If you want to know how the removal of the transplanted uterus is carried out, we share this video about hysterectomy, what it is and in which cases it applies.