Uterus transplants....
Below is an excerpt from a CNN article I stumbled across today. A temporary uterus for those of us who are broken. Or you had a hysterectomy and changed your mind. I just don't know really how I feel about this. I understand and support a couple (whole-heartedly believe it take two to raise a kid, no gender specifications required, just decency and love) who cannot bear children on their own and do not want to use a surrogate mother. I find this slightly crazy. At least women wanting a child through transplanted uteruses would be properly screened for child raising.
"MILWAUKEE, Wisconsin (AP) -- A New York hospital is taking steps to offer the first uterus transplant in the United States, a radical experiment that might allow women whose wombs were removed or are defective to bear children.
The wombs would come from dead donors, just as most other organs for transplants do, and would be removed after the recipient gives birth so she would not need anti-rejection drugs her whole life.
The hospital's ethics board has conditionally approved the plans, although the hospital's president warned women not to get false hopes because a transplant is not expected "any time in the near future."
However, several experts cautioned that much more research needs to be done before the procedure is actually attempted on a woman.
The New York doctors just did a six-month trial run, showing that wombs could be obtained from organ donors, and now are screening potential recipients.
"I believe it's technically possible to do," said lead physician Dr. Giuseppe Del Priore.
However, even some scientists involved think they should produce more healthy offspring in animals before trying the procedure on women.
Others note that about a thousand women already have become pregnant after kidney, heart and other transplants, with generally good results. They view uterus transplants as a way to help women whose only option now for a biological child is through a surrogate mother.
"If this is a passionate desire for a woman who's had surgical removal of a uterus, I would think this would be something she'd really want to pursue," although the risks would have to be carefully weighed, said Julia Rowland, director of the National Cancer Institute's Office of Cancer Survivorship.
The transplant project is being led by Del Priore, a cancer specialist, and Dr. Jeanetta Stega, a gynecologic surgeon, at the New York Downtown Hospital, part of the New York-Presbyterian Health Care system.
Transplants for quality of life"
Find the rest of the article here:
http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/01/15/uterus.transplant.ap/index.html
"MILWAUKEE, Wisconsin (AP) -- A New York hospital is taking steps to offer the first uterus transplant in the United States, a radical experiment that might allow women whose wombs were removed or are defective to bear children.
The wombs would come from dead donors, just as most other organs for transplants do, and would be removed after the recipient gives birth so she would not need anti-rejection drugs her whole life.
The hospital's ethics board has conditionally approved the plans, although the hospital's president warned women not to get false hopes because a transplant is not expected "any time in the near future."
However, several experts cautioned that much more research needs to be done before the procedure is actually attempted on a woman.
The New York doctors just did a six-month trial run, showing that wombs could be obtained from organ donors, and now are screening potential recipients.
"I believe it's technically possible to do," said lead physician Dr. Giuseppe Del Priore.
However, even some scientists involved think they should produce more healthy offspring in animals before trying the procedure on women.
Others note that about a thousand women already have become pregnant after kidney, heart and other transplants, with generally good results. They view uterus transplants as a way to help women whose only option now for a biological child is through a surrogate mother.
"If this is a passionate desire for a woman who's had surgical removal of a uterus, I would think this would be something she'd really want to pursue," although the risks would have to be carefully weighed, said Julia Rowland, director of the National Cancer Institute's Office of Cancer Survivorship.
The transplant project is being led by Del Priore, a cancer specialist, and Dr. Jeanetta Stega, a gynecologic surgeon, at the New York Downtown Hospital, part of the New York-Presbyterian Health Care system.
Transplants for quality of life"
Find the rest of the article here:
http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/01/15/uterus.transplant.ap/index.html
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