FIRST WOMB TRANSPLANT IN THE UK, THE

The first living donor womb transplant took place in the UK in early 2023 at the Oxford Transplant Centre, garnering attention from around the world and offering a life-changing opportunity for many women. This milestone was more than 25 years in the making. In this compelling and accessible book, the surgeons behind the procedure offer extraordinary insight into the long and winding road they have walked – through scientific breakthroughs (as well as dead ends), innovative spin-off surgeries and techniques, and surmounting opposition and resistance from many quarters – to culminate in successful and sustainable living and deceased donor programmes and the first baby in the UK born to a mother with a transplanted uterus.

The authors address the complex issues of ethics, legality, and eligibility criteria surrounding the transplant and its development and, looking ahead, they explore future opportunities for uterine transplantation. With personal reflections from many different members of the transplant team, this book celebrates the commitment, innovation, and collaboration of the people behind cutting-edge science.

A portion of the proceeds from this book will be donated to Womb Transplant UK, the charity responsible for funding the transplants to date.

Contents:

• Introduction
• Transplant History:
  • Transplants: A History
  • Attitudes Towards Womb Transplants
• Early Days of Fertility Preservation and Restoration:
  • Early Explorations
  • Spin-Off Projects
• Progress and Surgery:
  • Endometrial Transplantation
  • Tissue Engineering
  • Uterine Transplantation Breakthroughs
  • Womb Transplant UK: Deceased Donor Programme — Late 2022
  • Womb Transplant UK: Living Donor Programme — Early 2023
  • Personal Reflections from the Team
• Future Research and Considerations:
  • Legal and Ethical Considerations
  • A Look to the Future
  • Conclusions
• Epilogue

Readership: This book is written for a popular audience with an interest in the fascinating development of womb transplant surgery and the story behind it, as well as medicine and medical breakthroughs more generally. It will also be of interest to the medical profession and those involved in medical ethics more broadly.