What it means?

Who can donate? It is a live donation. Mother or sister of the recipient (who are of the same blood group) can donate. Age limit for donors is 55.

Who receives? Women unable to conceive as they have no uterus from birth or lose it during medical procedures. Prefered age is below 35.

How? Uterus is transplanted into the recipient. After the lapse of a year, an embryo is transplanted and the woman can bear a child.

Nine women are set to receive wombs from live donors in Bengalu-ru early next year in what will be the first batch of uterus transplants in India.

The first few surgeries will be performed by a team of doctors from Sweden who will be assisted by specialists from Bengalu-ru-based Milann - The Fertility Centre and HCG Hospitals. The later surgeries will be conducted by the Indian doctors.

Dr Kamini A Rao, who runs Milann, said they hoped to obtain all the necessary approvals from the Union and state governments by December. The surgeries could happen in January, she said. Women suffering from a medical condition called May-er-Rokitansky-Klister-Hauser (MRKH) syndrome will be chosen during clinical trials to undergo the surgeries. The MRKH syndrome is a condition whereby women are either born without uteruses or lose them at a young age in certain medical procedures. Women with any co-morbid condition will not be chosen initially, but could be considered later, Dr Rao said.

Women could receive the organ from their mothers or sisters who have had successful childbirth. The team has already obtained approval from the Indian Council of Medical Research's (ICMR) technical committee. It is now awaiting approval from the ICMR's ethical committee, Dr Rao said.