Uterus Transplant Research Trial Offers New Opportunity for Organ Donation
“Donation creates a legacy of life, and this success will hopefully encourage more people to consider their own legacy and make the decision to donate. We are so grateful for donors and their families.”
In November 2017, the first baby in the United States was born to a woman who received a uterus transplant at Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas, a part of Baylor Scott & White Health. Baylor University Medical Center is home to a world-renowned transplant program with more than 35 years of experience in solid organ transplants. The hospital first announced the start of a uterus transplant clinical trial in 2016, which seeks to offer a treatment option for women with absolute uterine factor infertility. Just over a year later, this birth marks a major milestone for medical research and transplantation. While this uterus transplant was from a living donor, future transplants in this research effort may come from deceased donors as well. Southwest Transplant Alliance, the Dallas-based organ procurement organization, has been working with the team at Baylor Scott & White to coordinate processes for the donation of a uterus from an organ donor.
“This beautiful baby boy born from a donated uterus is such an exciting achievement and gives hope to so many women who are actually born without a uterus,” said Patti Niles, CEO and president of STA. “It has been an incredibly gratifying experience to work with the Baylor team to help in the development of a transplant process as part of this clinical trial.”
STA collaborated with Baylor University Medical Center and Giuliano Testa, MD, principal investigator. STA discussed uterus donation with several donor families. “Because this is a research study, it is essential that we work with professionals who bring understanding and expertise to the transplant process,” said Dr. Giuliano Testa, the surgeon who performed the transplant. “STA’s collaboration has provided valuable insight to the means of organ procurement, and they act professionally and compassionately in discussions about organ donation with potential donor families.”
“We have learned so much from traditional organ and tissue transplants and this has allowed science to save and improve lives in ever-expanding ways,” said Niles. “Donation creates a legacy of life, and this success will hopefully encourage more people to consider their own legacy and make the decision to donate. We are so grateful for donors and their families.”
Learn more about the uterine transplant clinical trial at BSWHealth.com/UterusTransplant. To register your donation decision, go to donatelifetexas.org.