Althouse: "Dr. Falcone said he first heard of uterus transplants about 10 years ago... Initially, he was skeptical."

November 12, 2015

"Dr. Falcone said he first heard of uterus transplants about 10 years ago... Initially, he was skeptical."

"A trip to Sweden changed his mind. He went there in 2013 — like a doubting Thomas, he said — to see what the team was doing. He watched the surgery and spoke to several couples who wanted it. 'I almost cross-examined them,' Dr. Falcone said. 'I was thinking, "There’s got to be something wrong with these people."' But, he said, he came to understand how much pregnancy meant to them. 'It’s a legitimate request,' he said...."

From "Uterus Transplants May Soon Help Some Infertile Women in the U.S. Become Pregnant."

15 comments:

MadisonMan said...: “I crave that experience,” she said. “I want the morning sickness, the backaches, the feet swelling. I want to feel the baby move. That is something I’ve wanted for as long as I can remember.”

I suppose if you're rich enough to spend your own money on this, then go for it. There's an off chance that a medical breakthrough could spring from this, maybe?

But really -- you can't always get what you want. This seems like a misapplication of medical resources to me.; 11/12/15, 3:47 PM
Ann Althouse said...: I was most concerned about the baby gestating in a body that is using anti-rejection drugs.

I also wondered if male-to-female transgendered people were going to be able to do this. I noticed that Caitlin Jenner said the other day that the hardest part of being a woman is figuring out what to wear.; 11/12/15, 4:02 PM
Peter said...: Well, that's what I thought: are they going to put a uterus in a man, so he can have a baby? Although that would give "Cesarean section" a whole (hole?) new meaning.; 11/12/15, 4:21 PM
Etienne said...: I'm sure if the baby was born (if it was a live birth) that the chances are very high that it will be defective in some way, and all the doctors will pay for their Frankenstein ideas.

What would be terrible, is if with the new uterus, the person goes and has an abortion.

Wouldn't that set the churches on fire, hee...; 11/12/15, 4:44 PM
D. B. Light said...: So there's still hope for Caitlyn Jenner?; 11/12/15, 4:55 PM
YoungHegelian said...: What percentage of infertility problems are caused by uterine issues? I mean, clearly, if a woman has had a hysterectomy.....

But, aren't most problems with infertility located elsewhere? Or, aren't they problems of getting all the parts & hormones in sync? If so, I can't imagine how having a "foreign" uterus is going to help that.

Needless to say, I ain't no gynecologist specializing in fertility issues, so I'm open to being schooled on these matters.; 11/12/15, 6:29 PM
jr565 said...: In regards to the transgendered, this is just a uterus. It's not the entirety of females sex organs. So, even if they had a uterus could they have a baby? And then could they deliver it?; 11/12/15, 6:31 PM
Theranter said...: Jr565, it would at minimum take daily shots of hormones. Then a C section if the baby made it to viability. I'm sure there are many other issues, but those are off the top of my head.

YH, there are many more problems now with the uterus, due to years, if not decades, of uterine lining thinning from taking the pill (and other hormonal birth control), so an embryo cannot attach. Then there is the permanent uterine damage many experience from an IUD, permanent scarring, uterine puncture/damage, infection from the IUD harming the lining, all same story, embryo cannot attach.

Generally, abortion(s) can cause similar physical harm to the uterus. In many cases though, I suspect that due to a bad abortion, an IUD bleed, or uterine cancer, the woman wanting the transplant had to have hers removed. Many more women than people realize lose their uterus hours after an abortion, they are bleeding out and removal is the only lifesaving technique. (Some die.) Thing is, once she leaves the abortion clinic, and goes to an ER, it does not (and generally is not) reported as a complication from an abortion. Hence the "safe" in the abortion procedure propaganda. (I'm just tired of women being lied to about this.)

But yes, most fertility issues are outside the uterus, it usually involves the ovaries.; 11/12/15, 7:19 PM
Michael K said...: " the baby gestating in a body that is using anti-rejection drugs."

Oh yes. That is the rational thought amidst all this foolishness.; 11/12/15, 7:30 PM
YoungHegelian said...: @Theranter,

there are many more problems now with the uterus, due to years, if not decades, of uterine lining thinning from taking the pill (and other hormonal birth control), so an embryo cannot attach

Yes, I can see how that could be a relatively recent yet now common problem. Thank you for your explanation!; 11/12/15, 7:41 PM
MikeD said...: Planned Parenthood hardest hit!; 11/12/15, 7:50 PM
yetanotherjohn said...: One way for the transgender to commit.; 11/12/15, 8:29 PM
Amanda said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 11/12/15, 11:57 PM
Amanda said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 11/13/15, 12:09 AM
Amanda said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 11/14/15, 3:27 AM