In a groundbreaking moment for Indian medical history, Meenakshi Valand, a 27-year-old woman from Bharuch, Gujarat, became the first woman in India to give birth after undergoing a uterine transplant. The baby girl, named Radha, was delivered via cesarean section at Galaxy Care Hospital in Pune.
The procedure marks a major milestone for reproductive medicine in India and makes Meenakshi only the 12th woman in the world to give birth using a transplanted uterus.
Meenakshi was born with uterine factor infertility—a condition in which a woman is unable to conceive or carry a child due to the absence or malfunction of the uterus. In May 2017, she received a uterus donated by her mother, in a complex surgery led by renowned oncologist and laparoscopic surgeon Dr. Shailesh Puntambekar.
Nearly a year after the transplant, Meenakshi underwent in vitro fertilization (IVF). An embryo was successfully implanted, and in October 2018, she gave birth to a premature but stable baby girl, weighing around 1.45 kilograms. The baby was placed in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) but responded well to treatment and began breastfeeding soon after birth.
“This is not just a personal victory for Meenakshi and her family, but a breakthrough for women across the country facing similar fertility challenges,” said Dr. Puntambekar. “We have proven that life can be nurtured in a transplanted womb.”
Medical experts from around the world hailed the event as a major step forward, especially for women suffering from Asherman’s syndrome, congenital uterine absence, or post-hysterectomy infertility. The success of the procedure also offers new hope to thousands of women in India who until now had to rely on surrogacy or adoption to experience motherhood.
Though uterine transplants remain rare and are considered temporary due to the need for lifelong immunosuppressants, the success of this case has sparked renewed global interest in the field.
- Mother: Meenakshi Valand (27), from Bharuch, Gujarat
- Donor: Her mother
- Hospital: Galaxy Care Hospital, Pune
- Transplant Date: May 2017
- Baby Born: October 18, 2018
- Birth Weight: Approx. 1.45 kg
- Delivery Method: Cesarean section
This is India’s first successful uterine transplant birth, and the first in the Asia-Pacific region, placing India firmly on the global map of advanced fertility science.
Let me know if you’d like a regional-language version, shorter press release format, or an editorial follow-up on the implications of uterine transplant technology.
