The Royal celebrates Australia’s first uterus transplant

A surgical team at the Royal Hospital for Women has become the first in Australia to perform a uterus transplant as part of a ground-breaking research trial.

The clinical trial, led by gynaecologist Dr Rebecca Deans saw the successful surgery carried out on 10 January 2023 with both donor and recipient recovering well.

“This is the culmination of 25 years of collaborative research and persistence from both sides of the world,” Rebecca said.

“The procedure is the result of a long-term Australian-Swedish research collaboration. In fact, the inspiration for the world’s first uterus transplant came from Adelaide and so to finally see the first surgery of its kind here in Australia a decade after the first successful procedure was performed in Sweden is incredible.”

Swedish surgeon Mats Brännström who performed the world’s first successful uterus transplantation in 2012 supervised both operations at the Royal Hospital for Women which lasted more than 16 hours and involved a multidisciplinary team of more than 20 medical professionals.

“From a surgical perspective this operation has been successful but ultimately we want to know she can carry a baby – that will be the ultimate test,” Rebecca said.

“We’re hopeful this trial will show other women with uterine factor infertility that this is possible and that there is another option other than adoption or surrogacy.”

Kirsty Bryant, 30, from Coffs Harbour was the recipient of the uterus and the donor was her mother Michelle Hayton, 53.

Kirsty had an emergency hysterectomy in 2021 after suffering a major haemorrhage after giving birth to her first child. 

“To be given the chance of being able to carry another baby is a dream come true,” Kirsty said.

Kirsty has six embryos in storage which were created at the Royal Hospital for Women’s Fertility and Research Centre. She will begin trying for a baby later this year.

Mother and daughter in hospital ward