A mother has donated her uterus to her 21-year-old daughter
The uterus, or womb, transplant took place in the city of Pune in southwest India
The surgery was performed by a team of doctors at Pune՚s Galaxy Care Hospital and led by the hospital՚s medical director, Dr. Shailesh Puntambekar
The procedure is difficult because multiple large arteries are to be joined there, and veins that are small and short
It is technically very tough
Granted a license by the state՚s Directorate of Health Services to carry out the uterus transplant
It will be an eight-hour surgery
The recipient will remain in ICU for a week and another two weeks in general care
The young woman who suffers from congenital absence of the uterus
The mother and daughter were in good health following the procedure
The complete success of the surgery will only be possible to be determined if the organ functions normally and the recipient is able to conceive.
The first attempt at the pioneering surgery in India and only the 30th attempt in the world.
Attempts have also taken place in
United States
Brazil
Sweden
China,
Germany
Serbia
Czech Republic
Saudi Arabia
Turkey
Transplanting a Uterus
Candidates for Uterine Transplant
In India infertility prevalence is between 3.9 - 16.8% of the population of child - bearing women.
Among the reasons uterine factor is the cause in 20% of cases
The uterine factor can be due to causes like congenital absence of uterus, uterine malformations, genital tuberculosis, surgical removal of uterus for cancer
The Ethical Debate
Removing the uterus from a live donor exposes the person to surgical risk
Involves too many surgical steps for the recipient
The transplant is not a life - saving procedure
Why invest in something risky when options like adoption and surrogacy are available