In one of the first cases in the world, a baby was born at Rabin Medical Center, Beilinson Hospital (RMC), in Israel, to a woman who had undergone uterine transposition surgery. This ground-breaking procedure is designed to preserve fertility in women diagnosed with cancer in the pelvic organs before undergoing radiation treatment. This baby is the sixth in the world born to a woman who has undergone this procedure.
Prof. Ram Eitan, Director of the Gynecologic Oncology Unit at RMC's Women Hospital, performed the uterine transposition surgeryand, in an emotional closure, also delivered the baby via cesarean section.
A woman in her early thirties, was diagnosed several years ago with colorectal cancer and required radiation therapy. To preserve her ability to conceive in the future, she chose to undergo an innovative surgery to reposition her uterus outside the radiation field. Radiation irreversibly damages the uterine lining and muscle, and the only way to protect the uterus is to surgically detach it - along with the ovaries from the pelvis (which is targeted by radiation) and suture them into the upper abdomen above the navel. Following radiation, the uterus is returned to its natural position in a second surgery. The procedure was performed using a robotic approach, which allows greater flexibility in the surgical field, more precise suturing, and highly accurate tissue handling.
Prof. Ram Eitan, Director of the Gynecologic Oncology Unit at RMC's Women Hospital, said: "It is rare and deeply inspiring to see a woman who has faced cancer, radiation, and uterine transposition - and still manages to conceive and bring life into the world. When this technique was first introduced, it was incredibly innovative, and we didn’t know if the uterus could survive such a transposition and later sustain a pregnancy. So, when the [patient] called to share the great news, it was an incredibly emotional moment. We realised we had pushed the boundaries of medicine to the maximum."
The uterine transposition technique was first developed in Brazil and, to date, only about 18 women worldwide have undergone the procedure - two of them in Israel. Prof. Ram Eitan performed the first surgery at Rabin Medical Center in 2021 and then this latest procedure approximately a year later.
This is a rare operation, as this type of cancer typically occurs in older individuals and is seldom diagnosed in women of reproductive age. In addition, some women already have children or choose not to undergo the surgery.
