Last week, the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) introduced the world to Mallory. She’s the first person to have a baby through a uterine transplant at UAB. This is the first successful uterine transplant birth outside of a clinical trial. AL.com gathered answers to a few critical questions about the procedure.

1) Who is eligible for a uterine transplant?

Candidates should be 19 to 38-year-old women who were born with female reproductive anatomy and still have a vagina.

2) Is a uterus transplant available for women who’ve had a full hysterectomy?

“Yes, you can definitely have this procedure if you’ve had a hysterectomy,” according to Dr. Deidre Gunn, one of the doctors at UAB involved in the procedure. “When we think about uterine infertility, we think about congenital causes – people who are born without a uterus. You could also have uterine problems like fibroids which may have precipitated the hysterectomy.”

3) Where does the donor uterus come from?

The uterus comes from a deceased person who registered to be an organ donor or a family who chooses to donate a loved one’s organ. This is courtesy of the Legacy of Hope program.

4) What is the process for undergoing a uterine transplant?

According to UAB’s uterine transplant website, women go through an extensive screening process that involves physical and psychological evaluations. Once a patient is approved, an embryo is created using in vitro fertilization, which means eggs are retrieved and fertilized with sperm. The uterus transplant takes place and six months later, the embryo is implanted. This is considered a high-risk pregnancy, so the baby is delivered using Caesarean section. If the first birth is successful and the mother desires a second child, a second embryo can be implanted in six months. Once childbirth is complete, the uterus is removed so that immunosuppressant medication can cease. This process can last two to five years.

5) Why did UAB get involved with uterine transplants?

“UAB’s Comprehensive Transplant Institute (CTI) has been eager to offer innovative therapies to patients in need, which aligns with UAB’s mission to advance patient care,” said Savannah Koplon, UAB’s public relations manger. “After administration saw successes of uterus transplant programs at other institutions, UAB Medicine/UAB CTI moved forward with starting a program at UAB. Importantly, uterus transplant offers the potential for patients with uterine factor infertility the opportunity to biologically carry their own child – something that seemed out of the realm of medical possibility for them otherwise.”

6) Where can I get more information about uterine transplants?

You can get all of the details and necessary medical forms from UAB’s uterine transplant site.