The New Zealand perspective

Kirsty’s story is an incredible feat of science and medicine, but it’s not something we should expect to see in New Zealand in the near future. The funding for the surgery and research trial in Australia was raised by the Royal Hospital for Women Foundation through philanthropic donors and this is unlikely to be a priority for obstetrics and gynaecology in Aotearoa any time soon.

Dr Leigh Searle, who is based at Fertility Associates in Wellington, says, “There have only been around 100 uterine transplants and 50 healthy babies born as a result of this worldwide. It takes a large team of surgeons and transplant medicine specialists to care for these people as this is a highly complex surgery, with risks to both donor and recipient. This is not currently available in New Zealand due to lack of expertise and funding.”

Cindy Farquhar – a professor of medical obstetrics and gynaecology at the University of Auckland, and a former clinical director of gynaecology at National Women’s Hospital – agrees, “I wouldn’t say it’s immediately in the five-year plan. I listened to a presentation by Rebecca Deans, who performed the surgery in Australia, and they received special one-off funding for five or six women to have it. It’s considered experimental at this stage, so I imagine a programme like that is not something we would immediately think of establishing in New Zealand. I don’t think it would really fall into our priorities right now as there are other alternatives available.”