In the presence of the Minister of Health Ghassan Hasbani, the medical director of BMC Dr. Ghassan Maalouf, the vice-president of the board Mr Nayef Maalouf, as well as the medical staff of the hospital, the Bellevue Medical Center in Mansourieh gathered the media around the great medical realization carried out in the hospital, namely the transplantation of a uterus. An unprecedented operation in Lebanon and in the Mena region.
The operation took place as part of a global research initiated in Sweden by Prof. Matts Brännström and Dr. of Lebanese origin Randa Akouri. A long 12-hour operation that requires a state-of-the-art hospital equipped with essential aeration to counter inflammations, which is why the Swedish team has selected Bellevue Hospital in Mansourieh, where a 23 years old Jordanian patient, and her donor mother have undergone this operation which requires follow-up and medication for months.
The uterine graft takes place simultaneously in the donor and the recipient, since the organ is removed and then grafted to the recipient during an operation that lasts 12 hours in a row. Aim? Counteract cases of female infertility for women who wish to have a normal pregnancy.
In this context, a protocol was developed in collaboration with the Committee for Organ Donation in Lebanon and the Ministry of Health, so that the operation complies with international regulations. This protocol includes medical and psychological evaluations, the donor must be alive and aged between 18 and 40 years old. She must be aware of the risks. The ideal would be a relative to the applicant, for a better compatibility of organs.
One year of waiting is required to ensure that there are no rejections or post-transplant complications. For this, anti-rejection drugs and cervical scans will be administered to the patient. At the end of a year, hopefully, the menstrual cycle will resume and the uterus will have recovered well. The inoculation of a frozen embryo then takes place, with chances of success from this first attempt. If not, the tests continue until the operation succeeds without waiting time between insemination attempts. Delivery is by caesarean intervention.
The first intervention was performed in 2013 in Sweden and the first delivery took place in September 2014. Of 7 uterine transplants, 5 pregnancies were recorded and 4 babies were born in top form.
The transplant lasts between 5 and 7 years, which gives the person the chance to get one to two pregnancies, taking drugs should not exceed ten years to avoid side effects.
This first operation in Lebanon is part of a global research, expected to be legislated in 2023. The Bellevue Medical Center mobilized its medical teams and took on its account the costs of the operation.
This operation confirms Lebanon as a leading country in hospital care. According to recent international reports, Lebanon is ranked first in the Arab world and 32nd in the world rank in medical services.
