A Swedish team specialising in uterus transplants has now deployed robot-assisted surgery in the procedure, it has been announced.
The first child was born last week, weighing 6lb 3oz, following the new procedure.
The child’s mother, aged 35, had received a new uterus from a relative – with the transplant performed by keyhole surgery using robots.
The procedure involved inserting the uterus through a small incision, then suturing it with blood vessels and then suturing it to the vagina and supportive tissue.
Surgeon Niclas Kvarnström, of Sahlgrenska University Hospital, said: “With the robot assisted technique procedures can be done that were previously considered impossible to perform with standard keyhole surgery. It is a privilege to be part of the evolution in this field with the overall goal to minimise the trauma to the patient caused by the surgery.”
Fellow surgeon Professor Pernilla Dahm-Kähler said: “With robot-assisted keyhole surgery, we can carry out ultra-fine precision surgery. The technique gives a very good access to operate deep down into the pelvis.
“This is the surgery of the future, and we’re proud and glad to have been able to develop uterine transplantations to this minimally invasive technical level.”
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