Assisted reproduction before and after uterus transplantation

Abstract

Assisted reproduction using in vitro fertilization (IVF) is an established therapy when sperm and egg cannot meet inside the body and was originally developed as treatment for infertility but advances in the spectrum of therapeutic alternatives have broadened indications to include also patients with genetic problems and lately, fertility preservation. Uterus transplantation is today the only available treatment for women with absolute uterine factor infertility enabling them to reach a pregnancy and live birth, where assisted reproduction constitutes an integral part of the treatment. In this chapter, pretreatment assessments and considerations prior to inclusion and some clinical aspects of IVF treatments from the initial Swedish study are covered. In view of the rapid spread of this combined assisted reproduction technique and transplantation procedure, our focus is toward the assessment of the effectiveness of these interventions in recognition of the possibility that they may become future routine clinical practice, in addition to some aspects of potential for further developments time ahead.