A woman in Turkey who received a transplanted uterus from a deceased donor has become pregnant with her first child, her doctors confirmed on April 12.
The woman, a 22-year-old homemaker named Derya Sert, received the transplant in August 2011, ABC News reported, and was implanted with the embryo on April 1 using one of her own ovaries.
“She is doing just fine at the moment,” Mustafa Unal, M.D., said in a written statement to Agence France-Presse.
Sert – who received the world’s first successful womb transplant – was born without a uterus, a condition that affects one in 500,000 women, her doctors at the Akdeniz University Hospital in Antalya claimed. Despite this, her ovaries were found to be in healthy condition.
Doctors harvested Sert’s eggs before the womb transplant and fertilized them with sperm from her husband, Mustafa Sert, The Daily Mail reported.
According to sources, Sert is experiencing symptoms characteristic of early pregnancy. However, her pregnancy is considered at risk for miscarriage or other complications.
If carried to term, the baby will be born through cesarean section after eight months, the news source noted.
The news of Sert’s pregnancy could have a significant influence on the medical industry. As the first recipient of a successful womb transplant, Sert is a source of inspiration for women across the country who may be having difficulties in the reproductive area.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that in 2010 – the most recent year statistics were taken – 6.7 million women between the ages of 15 and 44 were unable to bear children, while 6 percent of married women between the ages of 15 and 44 were considered infertile.