The 26-year-old woman who received the first uterus transplant in the United State is grateful for the successful procedure. The woman would have been unable to conceive on her own because she was born without a uterus, but thanks to the operation, she is excited to get pregnant.

Being born without a uterus is a condition called uterine factor infertility and it reportedly affects approximately 40,000 women in the United States. The surgery took almost 9 hours last February 2016. The surgery was done by the Cleveland Clinic team, which was comprised of eight surgeons, more than 60 caregivers, bioethicists and fertility experts.

The Uterus Transplant Clinical Trial

The transplant last month was reportedly the first of 10 uterine transplants by the Cleveland Clinic. They will be using uteruses from deceased donors and have reportedly screened more than 250 potential recipients and selected 10 recipients. According to Reuters, the hospital collaborated with a Swiss medical team who has successfully transplanted several wombs to mothers, which resulted in five babies in 2014.

Following the transplant, the women will need to stay at the hospital for at least a month and take anti-rejection drugs to suppress the immune system from rejecting the new organ. The transplant is not permanent as it is intended to be removed after a couple of pregnancies so that the patients can stop taking the medication.

According to Forbes, donated uteruses are evaluated to be fit for transplant. The next woman will undergo the uterine transplant as soon as a viable womb becomes available.

Introducing US' First Womb Transplantee

Cleveland Clinic introduced the woman who had received the first successful US transplant as Lindsey, who was alongside her husband, Blake, during a press conference this week at the hospital.

Lindsey was grateful to have undergone the procedure and profusely thanked the hospital's surgical team of doctors.

"They have provided me with a gift that I will never be able to repay, and I am beyond thankful," she said, as reported by Cleveland.com. "The reason I chose to speak today is because I want to be open and honest and to share my story."

She revealed that at 16, she was told by doctors that she would never be able to have children. And while she and her husband have adopted three boys from foster care, she expressed excitement about getting pregnant for the first time.

However, Lindsey has to wait a full year before trying to conceive via in vitro fertilization. According to Live Science, all babies will have to be conceived via C-section as there are many risks through normal vaginal delivery.

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