India’s First Uterus Transplant Carried out at Pune

India's first uterine transplant was carried out at the Pune-based

Galaxy Care Hospital

on Thursday. The procedure on the 21-year-old woman, who will be the recipient of a live uterus, started on Thursday at around 12 noon and by late evening, the organ had been retrieved from the donor. The procedure is expected to go on till late night and further updates will be available on Friday morning. A team of 12 doctors is performing this complicated operation. Another uterine transplant will take place this month at the same hospital.

Post-surgery Care

Dr. Shailesh Puntambekar noted that after the surgery, the patient will be in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for two days and will be monitored continuously for three weeks. "The recipients will be monitored by clinical examination twice weekly during the first month, once weekly during two to three months and thereafter every other week. The recipient will also be on immunosuppressive therapy after the transplant to make the body less likely to reject a transplanted organ. The woman can then conceive a child through IVF. After the child turns one, the transplanted uterus will be removed to avoid further complications," said Dr. Shaiesh Puntambekar. He said the uterus has to be removed after two pregnancies to avoid complications.

About Dr. Shailesh Puntambekar