Ovarian Tissue Procedure May Restore Fertility
A doctor said Tuesday that he had reimplanted a 29-year-old woman’s frozen ovarian tissue in a procedure that could eventually restore fertility to women who have lost their ovaries.
The technology could help thousands of women and girls who prematurely lose their ovarian or reproductive functions, having become menopausal because of surgery or chemotherapy.
The patient, Margaret Lloyd-Hart of Arizona, lost one ovary at age 17 and had the second removed and cryogenically frozen last year before treatment for an unspecified benign medical condition.
Researching her condition on the Internet, she tracked down a doctor who worked extensively in the field. She flew to New York with 72 vials of her frozen ovarian tissue occupying the next seat.
Dr. Kutluk Oktay, director of reproductive endocrinology in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at New York Methodist Hospital in Brooklyn, performed the procedure Thursday after the two spent about 10 weeks writing to each other.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
