India's first womb transplant on May 18 - Pune hospital all set for procedure

New Delhi: In a major step that could help women with uterine-related conditions get pregnant, the first ever uterine transplant in India is all set to take place at a hospital in Pune next week.

As per reports, the Galaxy Care Laparoscopy Institute (GCLI) in Pune will perform the country's uterine transplant on May 18.

The hospital will carry out the procedures on three women with different uterine or womb complications to help them try for successful pregnancies.

While the first transplant is set for May 18, the second one will tale place on May 19, and the third will be conducted in June.

It is reported that the hospital, which has the license to conduct womb transplants for a period of five years granted, was given a go ahead for the procedures by the Directorate of Health Services, Maharashtra.

The hospital will conduct the first three transplants 'free of cost' assisted by a 12-member team of gynaecologists, endocrinologists and IVF specialists.

Apart from pune's GCLI, Bengaluru's Milann Fertility Centre, which received an approval for the procedures from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), will also perform womb transplants in June on two women born without a uterus.

According to Dr Kamini Rao, Medical Director, Milann, the Swedish team from the University of Gothenburg who conducted the trial will be on board for the procedures.

“While the Milann hospital is getting a team from Sweden, we are doing it on own since we are competent,” Dr Shailesh Puntambekar, Medical Director, GCLI, was quoted as saying by DNA on being asked if there has been lapse in protocol.

So far, a total of 25 uterine transplants have been conducted worldwide. The first successful uterine transplant was performed in Sweden in 2013. Out of 11 transplants in the Swedish trial, seven ended in successful pregnancies

What is a uterine transplant?

It is the surgical procedure whereby a healthy uterus is transplanted into an organism of which the uterus is absent or diseased.