America's 1st Uterus Transplant Fails Suddenly

One day after it was declared a success at a widely covered press conference, America's first uterus transplant failed due to a "sudden complication," CNN reports. According to the New York Times, the transplanted uterus was removed from a 26-year-old woman named Lindsey on Tuesday at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. "I just wanted to take a moment to express my gratitude toward all of my doctors," CNN quotes a statement from Lindsey. "They acted very quickly to ensure my health and safety." Doctors are currently trying to figure out why the transplant failed.

In an effort to help women without uteruses get pregnant, the Cleveland Clinic announced a program of 10 transplants, of which Lindsey was the first. She was born without a uterus, and though she and her husband have adopted three children, she dreamed of giving birth herself. She received the transplant last month. The Cleveland Clinic says it has no plans to stop its transplant program after Tuesday's failure. Doctors in Sweden have performed nine uterus transplants, with four patients having since given birth. (More uterus transplant stories.)