Uterus Transplant: The First Successful Surgery Was Just Completed In The U.S.

A 26-year-old patient is the first to receive a uterus transplant in a nine-hour surgery that took place Wednesday, Feb. 24, at the Cleveland Clinic.

The uterus came from a deceased organ donor, according to a news release, and the unidentified patient is in stable condition as of Thursday afternoon.

Last year, the Cleveland Clinic started screening candidates for uterus transplants.

The patient was one of the first 10 women selected for the approved clinical trial of the procedure - all of whom were either born without uteruses (via a condition known as Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome) or had to have them removed. For some who might adopt children or hire surrogates to carry a pregnancy, others may find these options "unacceptable" for cultural or religious reasons, according to The New York Times.

"I crave that experience," she said. "I want the morning sickness, the backaches, the feet swelling. I want to feel the baby move. That is something I've wanted for as long as I can remember."

The clinic has no further comment at this time regarding the success of the first patient, however, the hospital says it is continuing to screen possible transplant candidates at this time.

While this is the first surgery that has taken place in the U.S., in Sweden, nine women have undergone the operation, according to TIME. Of those nine, four have given birth.

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