1. Uterus transplantation: state of the art in 2021
- Author
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Stephanie Ricci, Ruth M. Farrell, Cristiano Quintini, Uma Perni, Tommaso Falcone, Elliott G. Richards, and Andreas Tzakis
- Subjects
0301 basic medicine ,Infertility ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Graft failure ,Reproductive surgery ,Reproductive Techniques, Assisted ,Reproductive medicine ,Uterus ,Review ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Pregnancy ,Uterus transplantation ,Genetics ,medicine ,Humans ,Intensive care medicine ,Genetics (clinical) ,030219 obstetrics & reproductive medicine ,business.industry ,Pregnancy Outcome ,Obstetrics and Gynecology ,General Medicine ,medicine.disease ,Thrombosis ,Müllerian agenesis ,030104 developmental biology ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,Reproductive Medicine ,Female ,business ,Infertility, Female ,Live Birth ,Developmental Biology - Abstract
PURPOSE: To provide a comprehensive review of uterus transplantation in 2021, including a discussion of pregnancy outcomes of all reported births to date, the donor and recipient selection process, the organ procurement and transplant surgeries, reported complications, postoperative monitoring, preimplantation preparation, and ethical considerations. METHODS: Literature review and expert commentary. RESULTS: Reports of thirty-one live births following uterus transplantation have been published from both living and deceased donors. The proper selection of donors and recipients is a labor-intensive process that requires advanced planning. A multidisciplinary team is critical. Reported complications in the recipient include thrombosis, infection, vaginal stricture, antenatal complications, and graft failure. Graft rejection is a common occurrence but rarely leads to graft removal. While most embryo transfers are successful, recurrent implantation failures in uterus transplant patients have been reported. Rates of preterm delivery are high but appear to be declining; more data, including long-term outcome data, is needed. CONCLUSIONS: Uterus transplantation is an emerging therapy for absolute uterine factor infertility, a condition previously without direct treatment options. It is paramount that reproductive health care providers are familiar with the uterus transplantation process as more patients seek and receive this treatment. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10815-021-02245-7.
- Published
- 2021