June 14--STOCKHOLM -- Thousands of women who are unable to conceive could benefit if a Swedish hospital succeeds with its plans to transplant a woman's womb, a Swedish doctor said Tuesday.
Mats Brannstrom, who heads a team of six gynaecologists and two transplant surgeons, said the envisaged operation was planned for next year at the Sahlgrenska University Hospital in Gothenburg.
Research has been conducted there since 1999, Brannstrom, professor of gynaecology, told Swedish radio news.
The research has included transplants on mice and baboons.
An attempted human womb transplant was made 2000 in Saudi Arabia but did not succeed.
At Sahlgrenska University Hospital, 10 potential donors and 10 patients were being assessed. Many cases involved a mother and daughter.
Among the hopeful patients was a woman, 25, born without a uterus due to a rare medical condition. The donor was the woman's mother.
"There was no doubt about it, since she can't conceive," 56-year-old Eva was quoted as telling the tabloid Aftonbladet about her decision to serve as donor.
Her daughter, Sara, learned at age 16 she was born without a womb.
"I have always loved children, and for the past five years I have felt a deep sorrow about not being able to conceive," the 25-year-old biology teacher said.
Brannstrom said there were an estimated 2,000 women in Sweden who could benefit from such a procedure.
-----
To see more of dpa, go to http://www.dpa.de/English.82.0.html
Copyright (c) 2011, dpa, Berlin
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
For more information about the content services offered by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services (MCT), visit www.mctinfoservices.com.