蜜芽传媒

Surgeons in Oxford have carried out the UK鈥檚 first womb transplant.

The recipient was a 34-year-old woman who was born without a womb, and the donor was her 40-year-old sister.

The younger sister plans to have IVF this autumn using embryos that she and her husband have in storage.

Professor Richard Smith, one of the lead surgeons on the womb transplant says it has been a 鈥渕assive success鈥�.

The possibility of having a womb transplant brings hope to many women facing fertility issues.

Lydia Brain was diagnosed with womb cancer aged 24 in 2016. The following year she had a hysterectomy, leaving her unable to carry a child herself.

鈥淚t鈥檚 hopeful that we might be able to have a baby, that I might be able to carry it; I might be able to breastfeed.鈥�

She says breastfeeding often gets overlooked with infertility, but that being able to do it would 鈥渕ean so much鈥� to her.

Lydia, now 31, told 5 Live Breakfast, having a hysterectomy at such a young age was 鈥渁 lot to go through鈥�.

But the prospect of a potential womb transplant has 鈥渓ifted a massive weight鈥� off her shoulders almost immediately in her daily life.

鈥淚nfertility is something that is hard to put at the back of your mind. It affects you every day,鈥� she says.

Lydia says when seeing pregnant friends or people in public, 鈥測ou鈥檙e reminded of your hurt every single day鈥�.

There are a variety of alternative options for people with fertility issues, such as surrogacy and adoption. But Lydia told 5 Live Breakfast what being able to carry a child herself would mean.

鈥淭his is an option where I feel I have more control. It鈥檚 about our relationship. We鈥檙e going through the steps ourselves.鈥�

Vikki, 38, from Bishop鈥檚 Stortford, spoke to 5 Live鈥檚 Chris Warburton about her experience of having a partial hysterectomy after her son was born via caesarean when she was 23.

鈥淢y womb wouldn't contract afterwards, so I was just bleeding out. I had to have a partial hysterectomy. I鈥檝e still got my eggs, but I haven't got my womb anymore.鈥�

Vikki highlighted the daily battle of living with infertility.

鈥淚鈥檓 on antidepressants. It's not been an easy road. If I didn鈥檛 have my son, it would be a lot harder,鈥� Vikki says.

鈥淚 feel very sorry for the women who weren't born with a womb who have never had that option. The fact that I was able to have my son has helped a lot.鈥�

Vikki says she always wanted lots of children, so like Lydia, she also feels hope after the first successful womb transplant.

鈥淚t鈥檚 nice to think that it's something that might help someone in the future,鈥� she says.

Eva from Basildon was born with Mayer-Rokitansky-K眉ster-Hauser (MRKH) syndrome, a rare congenital disorder that affects the female reproductive system.

She told 5 Live it means she was effectively born without a womb.

鈥淚 knew that I couldn't have children,鈥� she says.

As soon as she turned 20, Eva went through three rounds of IVF and ended up with seven embryos in total.

In 2018, she was approached by the Womb Transplant UK team but the pandemic hit soon afterwards.

鈥淲e obviously didn't know how long Covid was going to be around for, so we chose to go down a surrogacy route,鈥� she says.

Eva鈥檚 surrogacy journey was not straightforward.

After two embryos took, one was diagnosed with spina bifida and hydrocephalus at around 20 weeks. She was advised a medical termination was the most appropriate procedure.

鈥淚t took a long time to come to the decision and we had to then wait until 30 weeks to allow the other baby to grow before any sort of termination could happen.鈥�

Eva and her partner now have one son. She says the IVF and surrogacy process was 鈥渧ery traumatic鈥� and 鈥減ut a lot of pressure鈥� on their relationship.

She says she is 鈥渙ver the moon鈥� that womb transplants will 鈥済ive other women like me the potential opportunity to do it all themselves鈥�.

This clip is from 5 Live Breakfast on 23 August 2023.

Listen on 蜜芽传媒 Sounds.

Show less