Experimental project of uterine transplantation in sheep

Abstract

Uterine transplantation is an experimental treatment for exclusive uterine factor infertility that is not eligible to any other surgical approach. The main causes of Uterine factor infertility are congenital uterine absence from Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome, hysterectomy (obstetric bleeding or cervical malignancy), non-functional uterus caused by Asherman's syndrome, major malformation of the uterus or radiotherapy injury. Prevalence of uterine-factor infertility is roughly 3-5% in the general female population, and treatment of infertility in this subgroup of women is difficult. Experimental models are very important tools to further study of this modality of transplant. We are planning to perform 10 auto-transplants in an experimental sheep model to evaluate two different techniques of vascular graft reperfusion. (AU)