15 November 2008

Woman gives birth to her own niece

A remarkably successful result of an whole ovarian transplant.
Susanne Butscher was given the ovary by her twin sister Dorothee a year ago, after developing an early menopause. She gave birth to Maja, who is genetically her niece, at the Portland Hospital in London...

Mrs Butscher's case was the first successful whole ovary transplant.

The ovary was implanted using microsurgical techniques to reattach it to its blood supply and hold it in place alongside the fallopian tube, so that eggs could be expelled and travel down the tube towards the womb in the normal way.

One other implication:

[the procedure] might allow a woman's ovary to be removed and put back after extended storage. This, he said, could allow women who are delaying motherhood for career or other reasons to improve their chances of having a baby later in life
(And re a woman giving birth to her own grandchild, see here.)

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