Ovarian Transplant: A New Fountain of Youth?

Pressures to be successful in a career push many women to delay having children. For some women the delay is too long and the time window of opportunity closes. However, with an ovarian transplant that window may be opened again.

The procedure is still considered experimental but for women who have entered menopause early, or are trying to have children later in life, it may be the answer to their prayers.

The ovarian transplant procedure was first used for women who would undergo cancer treatments. Due to the treatments rendering the patient infertile a portion of their ovarian tissue was removed and frozen prior to treatment and then transplanted back to the patient once the treatments were completed. This allowed the woman to regain her to ability to produce eggs and become fertile again. Now the procedure is being expanded to whole ovaries.

With the ovarian tissue or a complete ovary transplant early results have shown that it is possible to restart a woman’s reproductive system and allow her to conceive a child either later in life or after major medical treatments have affected her fertility.

While the procedure is still experimental many doctors are calling for the further development of ovarian transplant.