Ovarian tissue transplant in infertile cancer survivor creates IVF history

An Australian woman, who was infertile, is now pregnant with twins after growing eggs in ovarian tissue that was transplanted into her abdomen - first time this type of treatment has taken place in the world.

A team at Melbourne IVF and The Royal Melbourne Hospital managed to help the woman, known just by her first name, Vali, grow egg follicles and produce two eggs by transplanting her own frozen ovarian tissue into her abdomen and stimulating it with a mild hormone treatment, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.

This is the first time that tissue has been successfully transplanted at a different site in the body to where it was harvested from.

Vali's fertility specialist, Kate Stern, said it has taken years and required daily testing and other procedures, to achieve the pregnancy.

She said that she had to work closely with an oncologist to ensure that Vali's ovarian tissue did not have cancer cells in it.