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1 2 3 Pune: A third major healthcare hub in Maharashtra — Pune's Sahyadri hospital (Deccan branch) — has now applied for permission to carry out uterine transplants in select patients. The first two to do so — DY Patil Medical College and Hospital in Pune and Mumbai's HN Reliance Hospital — have already received the mandatory approval from Directorate of Health Services (DHS). Uterine transplants are complex procedures that offer hope to women suffering from absolute uterine factor infertility (AUFI), a condition in which they're unable to conceive due to congenital absence or irreversible damage to the uterus.
The procedures involve transplanting a healthy uterus from living or deceased donors and potentially enabling pregnancy through in-vitro fertilization (IVF). You Can Also Check: Pune AQI | Weather in Pune | Bank Holidays in Pune | Public Holidays in Pune India's first uterine transplant was performed at Pune's Galaxy Care Hospital in 2017, resulting in the birth of the country's first uterine transplant baby, Radha, to a Vadodara couple in 2018. Currently, outside Maharashtra, Chennai's Global Gleneagles Hospital is the only other centre that offers uterine transplant services.
Since Radha's birth, doctors said an increasing number of women have been reaching out to hospitals for uterine transplants. Medical experts also said they believe Maharashtra, given the application by the three hospitals, now has the potential to become a leading state in uterine transplants. A senior doctor from DY Patil Medical College and Hospital in Pimpri confirmed the development.
"Two patients here are currently being evaluated for uterine transplant. If found suitable, they will be added to our hospital's waiting list." At Sahyadri Hospital's Deccan branch, COO Dr Sunil Rao said the hospital has already applied for the licence.
"We expect to receive the approval soon. Currently, two to three women are already on our waiting list," he said. Dr Rao added that Sahyadri hospital has also significantly strengthened its in-vitro fertilization (IVF) programme, drawing patients from across the state.
"Some women are born without a uterus and can't even opt for IVF. Uterine transplants offer them a path to biological motherhood. We aim to perform at least one transplant every year," he said.
An official from HN Reliance Hospital, Mumbai, also confirmed that the hospital has now signed an MoU with Dr Shailesh Puntambekar, who led the first uterine transplant in 2017, and that it's preparing to launch its own transplant programme. Hospitals seeking to carry out uterine transplants have to sign MoUs with Dr Puntambekar and he's been the one leading the transplant programme at the three hospitals that have applied for licences. "The growing number of hospitals seeking licences reflects a recognition of the procedure's potential.
With infertility rates rising and more women seeking alternatives to surrogacy and adoption, uterine transplants are emerging as a viable option in select cases," said Dr Puntambekar..
