Ankara University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Professor Dr. Murat Sönmezer acknowledged that the freezing and transplantation of ovarian tissue is a technique used to protect fertility in most cancers or non-cancer associated illnesses and is barely carried out in superior facilities.
Sönmezer emphasised {that a} restricted variety of profitable pregnancies have been achieved with this technique and mentioned, “We started this method in Türkiye for the first time in 2004 with a project from the State Planning Organization. After 19 years of intensive work and effort, we have become one of the world’s few centers that bring hope to patients.”
“High-dose chemotherapy destroys ovarian reserves in cancer patients”
Sönmezer defined that this technique is completely different from egg or embryo freezing and offered the next data:
“This technique includes freezing after which thawing ovarian tissue earlier than chemotherapy or stem cell therapy, adopted by transplantation to the affected person. Particularly in most cancers sufferers receiving high-dose chemotherapy, ovarian reserves are depleted resulting from chemotherapy. These sufferers enter menopause and lose their possibilities of having a child. Many of those sufferers are younger and single.
With this technique, ovarian tissue is collected and frozen from sufferers earlier than chemotherapy or radiotherapy. When they wish to have a toddler, the frozen ovarian tissue that belongs to the person is thawed and transplanted to the affected person by way of laparoscopic surgical procedure. The affected person’s menopause is reversed. After this stage, the affected person can change into pregnant naturally or by way of in vitro fertilization.”
PREGNANCY ACHIEVED IN THREE PATIENTS
Sönmezer identified that the strategy has uncommon examples on this planet and mentioned, “It can be applied in a few highly developed countries. In Türkiye, we have achieved pregnancy in three separate cases so far. Our first patient had leukemia, which is blood cancer. This leukemia patient was the second case in the world. The second case in Türkiye was a patient with brain cancer. Pregnancy was also achieved in this patient using the same method. Now, pregnancy has been achieved in a thalassemia patient who underwent stem cell treatment.”
Emphasizing that attaining a profitable being pregnant utilizing frozen and thawed ovarian tissue in a non-cancer illness like thalassemia is a primary in Türkiye, Sönmezer evaluated that this technique gives hope for thalassemia sufferers who will bear stem cell transplantation and wish to change into moms sooner or later.
Source: www.anews.com.tr
