[Uterine transplant: Clinical and ethical challenges in Switzerland]

Uterine transplant is a novel treatment option for women with absolute uterine infertility. Sixty uterine transplants have been performed worldwide to date. The first live birth happened in 2014 and since then 20 children have been born after this procedure. The procedure has several challenges: The donor is usually a woman alive. Surgery is long and complex for both the donor and the recipient, with a high risk of complications. Embryos have to be obtained through IVF. Pregnancies are at high risk for complications and require cesarean delivery, and transplant is temporary (the transplanted uterus is removed after pregnancy in order to allow discontinuation of immunosuppressive therapy). Uterine transplant is a new hope for women with absolute uterine infertility but a high-risk experimental procedure for the donor, the recipient and the newborns and raises major ethical questions.