I hope to keep up with writing in my weblog. To me it is similar to a journal, but this is public. It seems like I am writing for a purpose other than my own, but it is my stress relief. I think that this could be good for other english classes in the revising process and also for nursing presentations. I would like to make one suggestion for next quarter and classes after that. I would much rather post on wordpress than write reader’s journals every week. It is much easier to remember and I feel that this is more helpful !

                 Before this research project I had heard nothing about womb transplantation. This is a new medical discovery that many people are still unaware of. The procedure brings about much ethical controversy as well as concern for the change it could make in many women’s lives.

                Womb transplantation is a process that allows women who have medical conditions affecting their uterus, making conception impossible. Those women who had a hysterectomy or the uterus does not function properly may get this implant because the right vascular connections will be there. If cancer patients or those women who were born without a uterus try to undergo this operation, transplanting of veins and arteries must accompany it.

                The donor uterus would have to come from a cadaver. It can not come from a live person because too much blood loss would occur. The cadaver can only be six hours old when transplanted, any longer would ruin the organ.  When a person becomes an organ donor, most will not be aware of the uterus being a possibility. Is it ethical to remove the uterus from an organ donor who is unaware of what could be donated? This problem could be solved by specifically asking each woman organ donor if the uterus is an acceptable organ to be donated.

                Once a recipient has been approved and a donor has been found, the operation can begin. The recipient must be placed on anti-rejection drugs before the surgery and remain on them the entire time the uterus is in tact. Once the uterus has been placed inside of the recipient it is given time to heal. Once the doctor feels the incision is healed, previously frozen embryos will be implanted. The pregnancy will go on as normal, until the time of delivery. The baby must be delivered by caesarean section to prevent the damaging of the implanted uterus, causing infection. After the delivery of the baby is successful the uterus will be removed, allowing the recipient to stop taking anti-rejection drugs.

                If the pregnancy goes wrong in the implanted uterus due to complications such as infection or rejection, and the womb is occupied the fetus is in danger. In this case, the fetus must be aborted or the mother’s health will be in danger. So is this operation supporting abortion? There is no set plan for the medical professionals to follow in the case of infection or any other mishap that may occur.

                Most implant surgeries are required for survival. This operation would only improve the quality of life. Are the risks worth the happiness of carrying your own child? Many say that surrogate mothers or adoption does not give the same experience as carrying your own child. This is one way to solve this problem that many women face.

                This surgery has not yet been completed. It has been attempted on many animals, but pregnancy has not been successful. Within the next few years medical professionals hope to complete the first successful womb transplantation.

                Now you know more about womb transplantation and how the process works. You may not have been aware of this topic before reading this article and my motive has been to inform you all. By reading this selection I hope that you would like to learn more about this subject and also inform others. If more people are aware of the possibility of improving the quality of life for families then ethical discussion may be sparked. Once discussion has occurred the surgery may go more smoothly.