World's First Baby Born After Ovary Transplant
Woman Becomes Fertile After Taking Her Sister's Ovary
Dec 14, 2008
Susanne Butscher, aged 39 and originally from Hamburg in Germany, discovered she was infertile 12 years ago after osteoporosis brought on an early menopause. A lack of the hormone oestrogen can lead to weak bones that fracture easily and this lack of hormone can in turn, result in the cessation of ovulation.
The First Whole Ovary Transplant
Doctors have previously performed transplants on infertile patients using tissue samples from donor ovaries, but this is the first time a whole ovary has been transplanted.
It was taken from Susanne's own sister, Dorothee, who already had two children. She had agonized over whether to go through with the donation because of fears about the risks of surgery and how that would impact on her children, but wanted to help her sister.
Dr. Sherman Silber, from the Infertility Center in St. Louis, Missouri, performing delicate micro-surgery, connected life giving blood vessels to Dorothee's ovary in Susanne's body and shortly after the operation, Susanne began to ovulate.
A Miracle
Susanne had wanted the transplant in order to restore her periods and so alleviate the many symptoms of menopause she was suffering from and her intention had not been to have a child, yet her ovulation had made it possible for her to get pregnant naturally.
She gave birth in November 2008 to a baby girl, Maja, named after a Roman Goddess of Fertility, at London's Portland Hospital in the UK. The baby was born by caesarean section and weighed a healthy 7lbs, 15ozs.
'It Was Magical'
Dorothee was reported to be 'ecstatic' over the news of her sister's pregnancy and birth and described the process of donating her ovary as 'magical.'
'It was an intense moment going into surgery and knowing that one of my ovaries would soon be inside her', she said, 'We hugged and cried. It was quite magical when we both came round. We spent three days in hospital together and it was a close time between us.'
She now can't wait to get time off work to come and see her sister and new niece, who is actually biologically her daughter, a fact that she finds only 'theoretical'.
Susanne and her husband, Stephen, are delighted with their new daughter that they thought they'd never have.
'Being a mother at last is an indescribable feeling', Susanne said, 'It’s been hard to take my eyes off her since she was born.'
New Hope For Infertile Women
Their story gives hope to other infertile women suffering from osteoporosis and premature menopause and even for people with cancer.
If a cancer sufferer chose chemotherapy or radiotherapy to treat her condition, she could potentially use donor ovaries in order to get pregnant.
A lot of women are also choosing to delay having children in pursuit of their career or other aspirations and some just aren't ready to have children and are risking leaving it too late.
Dr. Silber suggested that career women may like to have their ovary removed and stored and then re-attached at a later date, to prevent ovarian aging, but that not waiting too long was still the best option.
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