ABSTRACT
The most obvious groups of women that can be helped by uterine transplantation (UTx) are those with a total absence of the uterus, but several types of uterine factor infertility (UFI) exist in women with the presence of a uterus. The animal research in preparation for human UTx has involved several animal models, as covered in several reviews. Both the pig and sheep have been used in UTx research, as a natural extension from the much smaller-sized rodents. The first UTx pregnancy and live offspring in a nonhuman primate species was shown in the cynomolgus macaque after autotransplantation. Tubal nonpatency was evident in all animals, indicating that the oviducts should not be transplanted in human UTx, with a possible low chance of natural conception and a high risk of ectopic pregnancy. After the success of in vitro fertilization (IVF) in 1978, the major cause of uterine–tubal factor infertility became treatable and the interest in the area of UTx ceased.
