The baby is 49cm tall and weighs 3kg 100g, scheduled for caesarean section
Posted Date – 07:40 AM, Wed – 07/06/23
Photo: IANS
Stockholm: In a world first, a baby boy has been born from a donor and recipient uterus transplant using only robot-assisted surgery.
The baby, who is 49 centimeters tall and weighs 3 kilograms and 100 grams, was delivered last week by a planned caesarean section, the team at Sahlgrenska University Hospital, University of Gothenburg, Sweden said in a statement.
Doctors said the child, the new 35-year-old mother and the donor, who are relatives, are all doing well.
In breakthrough surgery, both the donor and recipient operate entirely through robot-assisted laparoscopic (keyhole) surgery — considered less invasive than traditional open surgery.
The robotic transplant will be performed at Sahlgrenska University Hospital in October 2021. With the support of robotic surgery, the donor’s uterus is freed step by step. The final step involves separating the uterus from its vessels and removing it vaginally in a laparoscopic bag.
The uterus is then inserted into the recipient woman’s pelvis through a small incision; first sutured with blood vessels; then sutured to the vagina and supporting tissues. All these steps are assisted by robotic surgery.
“With robotic-assisted keyhole surgery, we can perform ultra-delicate precision surgery. The technology provides an excellent access to operate deep into the pelvis. This is the surgery of the future and we are proud and excited to be developing uterus transplantation.” to this level of minimally invasive technique,” said lead surgeon Pernilla Dahm-Kahler, associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Sahlgrenska.
Ten months later, embryos produced through in vitro fertilization (IVF) prior to transfer were implanted in the transplanted uterus, and pregnancy was confirmed a few weeks later.
Doctors said the mother-to-be felt fine throughout the pregnancy and is now planning to have a C-section at week 38.
“With the help of robotic-assisted technology, procedures that were previously considered impossible to perform with standard keyhole surgery are now possible. It has been an honor to be involved in the development of this field, with the overall goal of minimizing the trauma of the procedure to the patient,” said Dr. Niclas Kvarnstrom, the project’s transplant surgeon.
The transplant represents a further development of the uterine transplant procedure started in Sweden in 2012 with open surgical techniques.A
“This is the 14th baby born in the Sahlgrenska Institute’s Uterus Transplant Program, with more to come this summer. The research program continues to evaluate numerous variables in donors, recipients and children after uterus transplants, and follow-up of the surgery for several years after surgery,” says Mats Brannstrom, professor and doctor of obstetrics and gynecology at Sahlgrenska.
“It’s all about maximizing surgical outcomes and minimizing side effects for patients,” he added.
