Cleveland Clinic physicians in June delivered an infant from a uterus transplanted from a deceased donor. The medical feat marks the first such delivery performed in North America and the second in the world.
The female patient received the uterus transplant in late 2017 as part of an ongoing clinical trial at Cleveland Clinic. The patient became pregnant in late 2018 via in-vitro fertilization and gave birth to a healthy baby girl via cesarean section last month.
"It was amazing how perfectly normal this delivery was, considering how extraordinary the occasion," Cleveland Clinic transplant surgeon Andreas Tzakis, MD, PhD, said in a press release. "Through this research, we aim to make these extraordinary events, ordinary for the women who choose this option."
Since the clinical trial began, Cleveland Clinic has performed five uterus transplants, three of which were successful. Two of these women are now waiting for embryo transfers.