British women born without a womb will be given fresh hope this year when scientists attempt to help the woman who had the world's first successful womb transplant to conceive a baby.
Just over a year ago, Turkish scientists successfully transplanted the organ and are hoping to start IVF treatment in April or May.
If the breakthrough treatment succeeds, British researchers planning to replicate the same results will become a step closer to achieving their goal.
A successful pregnancy helped along by the pioneering Turkish team will assist London-based doctors in gaining approval from ethics committees to conduct the innovative procedure.
Medics in Sweden have also performed four uterus transplants, including the first ever mother-to-daughter womb transplant.
Richard Smith, a consultant gynaecological surgeon, said the British team hoped to conduct the first operation in the UK before the end of 2014.
"The Turkish team transplanted a woman just over a year ago and intend to do an embryo transfer in April or May," said Mr Smith.
"The Swedes have done four transplants in the past two or three months and all of their live donors are well and the recipients are well and are doing as one would expect."
He said that before the British medics could approach local ethics committees, they needed to produce data concerning a pregnancy in a woman who has already undergone the womb transplant procedure.
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