Royal Women’s Hospital trial celebrates first pregnancy

“It happened at the earliest time we expected good results,” Deans said. “I couldn’t be happier.”

Bryant’s mother and donor, Michelle Hayton, said the 11-hour operation and lengthy recovery was worth the potential birth of a fifth grandchild in the same womb as her two children. said.

“To be able to donate a womb in January and have a baby in December…I’m so happy,” Hayton said. “This is the only thing we wanted or hoped for with this procedure.”

While it’s an important milestone, Bryant and his family recognize they still have a long way to go. Her pregnancy is high risk. The medicines prescribed to prevent transplant rejection suppress the immune system, and the uterus is not connected to the nervous system, so it cannot feel its contractions and movements.

She will be followed up with ultrasound every 2 weeks before undergoing an elective caesarean section at 37 weeks.

Uterine transplantation is temporary and lasts about 5 years. The aim is to give women enough time to have children, while minimizing the long-term side effects of immunosuppressants required after other organ transplants.

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To date, more than 70 uterine transplants have been performed worldwide, resulting in approximately 35 births.

Dr. Deans is planning a second embryo transfer and aims to provide transfers to four more women in the first phase of the trial.

The trial is being funded through the Royal Women’s Hospital Foundation, and the deans hope to secure additional funding to perform transplants on six more women.

She said the trial aims to expand the fertility options available to Australian women.

“For many women, the idea of ​​being able to have children of their own is a huge deal,” she says. “It’s great to actually be able to offer that.”

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