Uterus Transplantation: A 50-Year Journey

This paper provides an analysis of the last 50 years of uterus transplantation (UTx). Animal research on UTx began in the 1960s, aiming to solve tubal factor infertility. The success of in vitro fertilization shifted the focus onto uterine factor infertility. Early research in small and large animals improved following the advent of immunosuppression and established the uterus' ability to tolerate cold ischemia and to function following vessel reanastamosis. Upon the achievement of the first live birth following UTx in 2014, human research has started to focus on reducing donor morbidity, optimal immunosuppression regimes, and the development of deceased donor UTx programmes.