GOWRI MANICKAVASAGAM
AHMEDABAD, SEP 26
Two moms have gifted their wombs to daughters so that they can enjoy with bundle of joy at the Institute of Kidney Diseases & Research Centre (IKDRC) on World Daughters’ Day, Sunday in Ahmedabad.
With this medical feat, the Institute of Kidney Diseases & Research Centre (IKDRC) became the first public sector Uterus Transplant Centre in the world to perform rare uterine transplant on two separate Absolute Uterine Factor Infertility (AUFI) patients with uteruses donated from their respective biological mothers on Daughters’ Day.
Mothers who donate their uterus to their daughters would thus be enabling their daughter to give birth in the same uterus that had nourished her. There cannot be a better gift to a woman than the motherhood, that too from her biological mother, on Daughters’ Day, said a senior official of IKDRC..
Uterus transplant surgeries were performed till late on Sunday night on both patients with excellent results. The critical surgery involved three crucial stages of the uterus transplantation where uteruses were first harvested from donors followed by bench surgery on organs harvested and subsequent implantation surgery on the recipients for placing uteruses.
- Two moms gift their wombs to daughters so that they can enjoy with bundle of joy on World Daughters’ day, Sunday
- Only 93 uterus transplantations have been done so far in the world out of which 11 were performed in India, including these two surgeries in Ahmedabad
- The critical surgery involved three crucial stages of the uterus transplantation where uteruses were first harvested from donors followed by bench surgery on organs harvested and subsequent implantation surgery on the recipients for placing uteruses.
A ten member team from Gynecology and Obstetrics department of the institute headed by Dr Vineet Mishra successfully achieved the critical milestone seamlessly with outstanding results despite performing it for the first time.
A team headed by uterus transplantation pioneer Dr Shailesh Puntambekar of Galaxy Care Hospital, Pune who had done 9 such surgeries helped the IKDRC team.
The first patient operated was Rina Vanpriya,28, a housewife married three years back but diagnosed with a menstrual history of irregular cycles. She had a past history of didelphys uterus – a rare congenital embryogenic condition where a patient is born with two uteruses. It’s commonly called a double uterus. It can cause pregnancy complications and painful menstruation. Rina’s 50-year-old post-menopausal mother agreed to donate her uterus to help daughter experience the joy of motherhood.
“At this point we are delighted to announce that we have successfully performed uterus transplant surgery on both patients with good blood flow in transplanted uteruses confirmed through USG and echo colour-doppler tests,” said Dr Vineet Mishra, Director IKDRC-ITS addressing mediapersons on Monday at Civil Hospital compound in the city.
There is a ray of hope for thousands of females now who had completely lost the hope to experience the joy of motherhood with MRKH disorders, Absolute Uterine Factor Infertility (AUFI) condition and some born with mullerian duct anomalies, Dr Mishra further added.
Only 93 uterus transplantations have been done in the world out of which 11 were performed in India, including these two surgeries in Ahmedabad. Both the uterus transplant surgeries costing Rs 3.5 lakh each were done free of cost under the Ayushman Bharat Scheme of the government. In Gujarat alone, over 50,000 women need uterus transplantations.
स्वस्थ भारत के लिए सुरक्षित मातृत्व!#NariShaktiYuvaJosh pic.twitter.com/DjsMbEi504
— Dr Mansukh Mandaviya (मोदी का परिवार) (@mansukhmandviya) September 26, 2022
Likewise, Tabassum Banu, 22 who was married since one and half years and diagnosed with Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser (MRKH) syndrome, a female reproductive system disorder. This MRKH condition causes the vagina and uterus to remain underdeveloped or absent, although external genitalia are normal. MRKH affected individuals usually do not go through menstrual periods due to the absence of a uterus. Tabassum’s 48-year-old mother also volunteered to donate her uterus.
The organ transplant recipients are expected to go through regular menstrual cycles in next one and half months and probably conceive in next 4-5 month, the statement further added.
Initially, the institute will encourage only live related transplants in which close biologically related kin of a female could participate. The uterus transplant at IKDRC will be delivered to AUFI patients with hugely subsidized transplant cost funded through various state and central government schemes.
The uterus donors shall be, ideally, between the age group of 30-60 years with healthy uteruses, the statement said.
Speaking with navjeevanexpress.com, one of the women beneficiaries’ brother-in-law said, “After exhausting all options, my younger brother and his wife approached Dr Shailesh Puntambekar in Pune. On his advise we moved the IKDRC and got it done free of cost. We are indebted to Dr Shailesh Puntambekar and Dr Vineet Mishra for performing this rare surgery and blessing our family with a bundle of joy soon.”
Another old man and father of Banuben said, “But for IKDRC and Dr Vineet Mishra my daughter would not be able to become a mother. We, poor and the needy, should utilize the government’s healthcare facilities available in Ahmedabad.”
As per an estimate around 15 percent of India’s female population has infertility related issues and 1 in 5,000 females have absent uterus. AUFI condition refers to infertility that is completely attributable to uterine absence (congenital or surgical) or an abnormality (anatomic or functional) that prevents embryo implantation or completion of pregnancy to term.
Uterus transplantation will give joy of motherhood to AUFI females: IKDRC director Dr Mishra
