Women will be able to give birth in old age following an ovary transplant breakthrough that means they can postpone menopause until well after their 50s.
The technique to remove parts of an ovary, store them for decades and then transplant them, could effectively put menopause “on ice”, doctors have said. Only physical ability to carry a baby would prevent women from becoming mothers, meaning they would no longer have to think about the “biological clock”.
A conference in Istanbul was told that 28 babies had been born to infertile women who had ovary tissue transplants, and that most of the children were conceived naturally without the need for IVF or drugs.
Dr Sherman Silber, an American surgeon who has been involved in transplants for 11 women at a hospital in St Louis, Missouri, said: “A woman born today has a 50 per cent chance of living to 100. That means they are going to be spending half of their lives post-menopause.
“You could have grafts removed as a young woman and then have the first replaced as you approach menopausal age. You could then put a slice back every decade.
“Some women might want to go through the menopause, but others might not.”
Scientists said the treatment could also have health benefits, by avoiding the increased risk of osteoporosis and heart disease linked to menopause. They admitted, however, it may raise the risk of breast and womb cancer.