Modern medicine grants us the possibility to transplant a range of life-saving organs from one person to another.
But what about a complex organ like the uterus that undergoes tremendous change during pregnancy?
Reports of a British woman planning on donating her womb have revived discussion about the possibility of a successful uterus transplant.
Eva Ottosson says she wishes to give her organ to her daughter, who lives with a condition called Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome that causes women to have underdeveloped or absent uteruses, according to an article in The Telegraph.
The condition does not usually limit egg production, but makes pregnancy difficult. Successful womb transplants would allow women with similar reproductive hurdles become pregnant.
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The mother and daughter hope to be candidates for the procedure under the direction of a Swedish team of researchers next year, potentially allowing Ottosson's daughter to carry a baby in the same womb she developed in as a fetus.
Successfully transplanting a uterus has challenged doctors for quite some time. They first tried the procedure in 2000, but had to remove the transplanted uterus because the recipient's body stopped providing blood to the new organ after 99 days, according to a New Scientist article.
In addition, scientists have successfully transplanted wombs in different animal models, but hurdles still stand in the way of making the procedure viable in humans.
Hemorrhaging is a major concern, namely because of the large number of blood vessels involved in attaching the organ to surrounding tissue.
In addition, the recipient's body must not view the organ as foreign, which could result in a dangerous cascade of immune responses in order to expel it. And as the 2000 procedure shows us, the organ must receive feedback from the rest of the body to work properly. Otherwise, recipients might not menstruate normally or allow fertilized eggs to implant on the uterine walls.
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One 2007 analysis states that many patients understand the need to take immunosuppressant drugs for the remainder of their lives. In contrast to other life-saving transplantation procedures, womb transplants don't save lives; they enhance the quality of life through being able to conceive a child.
Even then, the authors warn, women looking to participate in experimental uterine surgery are "unlikely to benefit from delivering a baby," at least until the procedure is perfected. If a uterus transplant is successful in the short-term -- meaning the recipient's body doesn't outright reject it -- there's still uncertainty surrounding her ability to become pregnant in the long-term.
Next year's transplant project may involve transplanting uterine arteries and veins to amplify the likelihood of the donor's body accepting the organ, according to another New Scientist article. It's also likely that related individuals may be better candidates for transplants because of the reduced risk for rejection -- good news for Ottosson and her daughter.
Although giving a womb may not seem as exciting as surrendering a more vital organ, supporters of the procedure argue it allows women more reproductive choices, especially if they're living in areas that outlaw surrogacy, or when another woman gives birth to a couple's child.
Photo by Corbis
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