Advertisement

First uterus transplant in the United States fails

Share

The Cleveland Clinic says the nation’s first uterus transplant has failed.

A 26-year-old woman received the transplant in Cleveland on Feb. 24 and had appeared to be recovering well, even appearing briefly at a news conference on Monday. But according to a hospital statement Wednesday, the patient experienced a sudden complication.

Doctors surgically removed the organ on Tuesday.

See the most-read stories in Science this hour >>

The hospital is exploring what went wrong, but said its clinical trial that aims to do 10 uterus transplants is continuing.

Advertisement

Other countries have attempted uterus transplants, with some reported failures, although Sweden has succeeded in five healthy births. The experimental treatment might eventually offer an option for women born without a uterus or who lost it to disease.

Advertisement