The Japanese Association of Medical Sciences said Wednesday it had conditionally approved uterus transplants to be performed in Japan on a clinical trial basis.
In a report compiled by the association's review panel, it said such transplants will be limited to a small number of cases. The procedure involves transplanting the uterus of a living donor to a woman who lacks a uterus so that she can give birth.
Current organ transplant laws in Japan do not permit uterine transplants from deceased donors, so a donor is likely to be a family member of the patient.