R ARIVANANTHAM
CHENNAI, DEC 22
Child birth is very emotional and it is very depressing for a human being to know that they cannot bear a child on their own but the uterus transplant provides such people a chance to carry their own child to experience motherhood themselves. In order to help two young women to enjoy motherhood, two uterus transplants were successfully performed here on a patient from Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh by a team of doctors, including an expert from the Czech Republic. This medical feat was done at Gleneagles Global Health City (GGHC), a leading multi-organ transplant centre in Asia, Dr. Joy Varghese, Director – Hepatology & Transplant Hepatology announced here on Thursday.
- By introducing this process in India where it is still at a nascent stage, we have been able to provide young women an opportunity to experience motherhood: Prof Fronek
- Uterus transplantation is an innovative advancement in medicine that paves a new path in OBGYN. This feat is a first of its kind that we have initiated in South India: Dr Joy Varghese.
- The cost of these types of complex uterus transplantations comes around Rs. 20 lakhs
Announcing successful transplantation of uterus to an IT Techie and a Bank employee through live donors, Dr. Joy Varghese, Director – Hepatology & Transplant Hepatology, Gleneagles Global Health City, Chennai, said, “Uterus transplantation is an innovative advancement in medicine that paves a new path in OBGYN. The patient from Tamil Nadu with a mismatch in HLA underwent a plasma exchange procedure before the transplant. This feat is a first of its kind that we have initiated in South India.”
He said the transplantations were proctored by Prof. Dr Jiri Fronek Head of Transplant Surgery Department, Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Prague, Czech Republic.
Dr. Padmapriya Vivek, Head of the Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology & Fertility Medicine, Gleneagles Global Health City, Chennai said, “We have performed 2 extremely challenging uterus transplants on young women under the expertise Dr. Jiri Fronek. The 24-year-old woman from Tamil Nadu had to undergo a plasma exchange ahead of her 16-hour-long transplant surgery as her blood group did not match the donor’s blood group (sister). The patient was put under a 3-day observation before commencing the transplant. On the other hand, a 28-year old woman from Andhra Pradesh underwent a 15-hour long open transplant surgery as it took our team nearly 8 hours to retrieve the uterus from her donor (mother).”
She said one in five thousand women are suffering from hypoplasia – a condition where the uterus is underdeveloped or absent. These problems could be identified only when the girl child is failed to attain puberty. Uterus transplants could be performed only those married and donor should be a close relative. The donor’s maximum age should be 55 and that of the receiver should be below 40.
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The uterus transplanted women can conceive only through IVF and their delivery is a cesarean and they can have a maximum of two children. The donor should have delivered not more than 6 children, she added.
Dr Padmapriya also said, “So far 96 uterus transplantations were performed in the world since 2015. Out of these 96 beneficiaries 48 became mothers. Of these 5 to 6 uterus transplantations took place in India. After hearing the successful uterus transplantation in GGHC, the hospital has received 754 calls to enquire about the process.’’
In a statement said Prof Dr Jiri Fronek, Head of Transplant Surgery Department, Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Prague, Czech Republic, “Uterus transplant is a potential and promising treatment for women suffering from uterus factor infertility – a condition that is congenital or acquired. By introducing this process in India, where it is still at a nascent stage, we have been able to provide an opportunity for young women to experience motherhood. With multiple technical advancements, doctors from Gleneagles Global Health City are sure about streamlining the uterus transplant process.”
Congratulating the team in a statement, Dr. Alok Khullar, CEO, of Gleneagles Global Health City, Chennai and Mr. Anurag Yadav, CEO, IHH Health Care India, said, “One in 5000 women in the country suffers from uterusfactor infertility. GGHC Chennai is glad that it is pioneering this effort of uterus transplants and giving a ray of hope for thousands of women, who had completely lost hope, to experience the joy of motherhood.”
Dr Bhaskar Reddy, VP, Corporation Communication said that the cost of these types of complex uterus transplantations comes around Rs. 20 lakhs, the hospital would soon write to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister to include this in the TN Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme (TNCMCHIS).
The complex process was led by Prof Dr Jiri Fronek, Head of Transplant Surgery Department, Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Prague, Czech Republic along with Dr. Padmapriya Vivek, Head of the Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology & Fertility Medicine, Dr. Joy Varghese, Director of Hepatology & Transplant Hepatology, Dr. Mettu Srinivas Reddy, Director- Liver Transplant & HPB Surgery, Dr. Rajanikanth Patcha, Clinical Lead – Liver Transplant & HPB Surgery, Dr. Selvakumar Malleeswaran, Head – Liver, HPB Anaesthesia & Liver Intensive Care, Dr. Muthukumar P, Senior Consultant Nephrologist and Transplant Physician and Dr. Ponni Sivaprakasam, Senior Consultant – Haematologist from Gleneagles Global Health City, Chennai.
