India's first uterus transplant recipients pass critical rejection period

The two women in their early 20s who received uterus from their mothers in the country's first two uterus transplant procedures have passed the critical period of the first eight days when the chances of organ rejection is the highest. Their biological mothers who donated their uterus are all set to leave the hospital said doctors at the Galaxy Care Laparoscopy Institute (GCLI) where the procedures were carried out. The recipients will be continued to be monitored closely for the coming few months.

"Acute rejection of the organs can take place in the first 48 hours while the delayed rejection can take place in the next 7-8 days. The patients have crossed both these milestones and all of them are very well," said Dr Shailesh Puntambekar, medical director of the hospital. He said that the biopsy of both the patients to test organ rejection was also normal.

The recipients will be monitored for another 10 days in the hospital before being discharged. Three months down the line the two women who received the uterus are expected to start menstruating normally. Born without a uterus the women have never menstruated so far.

"Six months from now we will use their already frozen embryos to impregnate them," Dr Puntambekar explained. The recipients are currently being given immunosuppressants to ensure that they don't reject the organs. This dosage will be reduced by the sixth month following which they will be able to get pregnant. The first uterus transplant procedure was carried out on May 18 while the second procedure was carried out on May 19.