|
OB/GYN Editorial June 2002
A New Era - An Old Problem
Lee P. Shulman, MD
A press release recently announced the transplantation of a uterus
in a landmark case in Saudi Arabia. Many in the press found this
to be further evidence of the advances in and the future promise
of transplantation surgery and molecular medicine. Although this
case may be representative of technological advances made in immunology
and surgical techniques, it belies a more insidious issue in the
care of women worldwide.
This represents one of the first cases of a transplantation of
a non-essential organ. Consider the preoperative and postoperative
care of the recipient (and donor) and the impact of receiving a
uterine allograft, and now consider why such an operation would
be undertaken. I am not aware of a concerted effort to perfect a
transplantation procedure for the appendix, or more appropriately,
for the prostate.
Unfortunately, the role of women in many parts of the world remains
that of a baby maker, without the hope of education, personal development,
equal rights, or an independent life. This leads to second- or third-class
citizen status for many women around the world, which frequently
comes with substandard or nonexistent health care. I would charge
the institutions and individuals involved with this transplantation
to use their time, effort, and financial resources to better the
health and lives of women and children rather than use these precious
resources for a procedure that serves to confirm the relegation
of women to a secondary status.
We, too, must recognize all the implications of this work and redouble
our efforts to promote the health and well being of all female patients.
Lee P. Shulman, MD
Associate Editor
back to top
|
