Beirut, Lebanon – October 2020: As birth is a symbol of hope and life, Bellevue Medical Center elected to announce, at this time, the first successful birth in the Middle East and North Africa following a uterus transplant, within clinical research.
A healthy baby girl was born eight months ago, fulfilling her parents’ dream of parenthood. The mother of the newborn, a 28-year old lady, had undergone a uterus transplant at Bellevue Medical Center in 2018, where the donor was her 50-year old mother. The procedure was then the first successful uterus transplant in Lebanon and the MENA region conducted within clinical research. Eleven months after the uterus transplant, the embryo transfer was successful on the first attempt, and the pregnancy was confirmed a few days later. On January 13, 2020, during the 35th week of pregnancy, a baby girl weighing 2.6 kilograms was born by cesarean section. The mother and daughter are followed up on a regular basis by the Bellevue team. The mother is now preparing for the second embryo transfer, which will hopefully lead to another successful pregnancy and delivery.
President and Chief Executive Officer at Bellevue Medical Center, Mr. Nayef Maalouf, stated: “We are proud that Bellevue became a place for hope in Lebanon and the MENA region, and we are glad about the birth of the first baby following the successful uterus transplant. This places Lebanon among the 10 countries in the world that are giving hope to women who are unable to carry a pregnancy.” He added: “While we all pray for a better tomorrow, we hope this medical achievement proves that our country still shines in worldwide news headlines through its latest medical accomplishments and advances.”
In 2016, Bellevue Medical Center signed an agreement with the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, to join the leading teams in performing uterus transplant clinical research worldwide. BMC became the first hospital to perform the procedure in the MENAT region (MENA and Turkey), by a team of physician specialists in transplant surgery and high-risk obstetrics headed by Prof. Joseph Abboud, in coordination with the Swedish team of doctors headed by Professor Mats Brännström and Lebanese physician Dr. Randa Akouri.
About Bellevue Medical Center:
Located in the green valley of Qanater Zbaydeh, Mansourieh, Bellevue Medical Center (BMC) is a general teaching hospital offering medical services in various healthcare specialties to the Lebanese and international patient community. BMC is accredited by the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health, awarded the prestigious Joint Commission International (JCI) Gold seal, and certified Gold by Planetree International for its person-centered care achievements.