Registry of the International Society of Uterus Transplantation: First Report

Transplantation. 2023 Jan 1;107(1):10-17. doi: 10.1097/TP.0000000000004286. Epub 2022 Aug 11.

Abstract

Background: Uterus transplantation (UTx) is a novel type of transplantation to treat infertility in women with an absent or nonfunctioning uterus. The International Society of Uterus Transplantation (ISUTx) has developed a registry to monitor worldwide UTx activities while serving as a repository for specific research questions.

Methods: The web-based registry has separate data fields for donor, recipient, surgeries, immunosuppression, rejections, pregnancies with live birth(s), and transplant hysterectomies. Data are prospectively registered.

Results: A total of 45 UTx procedures have been registered; the majority (78%) of those procedures were live donor (LD) transplants. Median age of the LDs, deceased donors, and recipients were 50 y (range 32-62), 38.5 y (19-57), and 29 y (22-38), respectively. The duration of LD surgery was approximately twice as long as the recipient surgery. Postoperative complications of any Clavien-Dindo grade were registered in 20% of LDs and 24% of recipients. Rejection episodes were more frequent (33%) early after transplantation (months 1-5) compared with later time points (months 6-10; 21%). Healthy neonates were delivered by 16 recipients, with 3 women giving birth twice. The total live birth rate per embryo transfer was 35.8%. Median length of pregnancy was 35 gestational weeks. Twelve uteri were removed without childbirth, with 9 transplant hysterectomies occurring during the initial 7 mo post-UTx.

Conclusions: A mandatory registry is critical to determine quality and process improvement for any novel transplantation. This registry provides a detailed analysis of 45 UTx procedures performed worldwide with a thorough analysis of outcomes and complications.

MeSH terms

  • Female
  • Humans
  • Immunosuppression Therapy / adverse effects
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Infertility, Female* / etiology
  • Infertility, Female* / surgery
  • Live Birth
  • Living Donors
  • Pregnancy
  • Uterus / transplantation