On June 11, 2021, a 26-year-old leukemia patient successfully received ovarian tissue cryopreservation in the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University (XJTU), and the obtained ovarian tissues were transferred to Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital for cryopreservation. Consequently, the ovarian function and fertility of the female patient can be preserved. This is the first case of ovarian tissue cryopreservation by programmed freezing technology in a patient with hematological disease in Northwest China, which brings hope for women with hematological diseases and other tumors from this region to preserve the ovarian function and fertility.
Six months ago, a 26-year-old female patient was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia in Department of Hematology of our hospital. After multi-cycle of chemotherapy, she was transferred to germ-free transplantation room on June 3 for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. However, excessively large dose of chemotherapy should be conducted prior to hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, which is likely to cause premature ovarian failure. The patient is still single, hoping that Director He Pengcheng can preserve her ovarian function.
Cryopreservation of ovarian tissues is the optimal option to protect the patient’s fertility and ovarian endocrine function. Director He Pengcheng immediately contacted Professor Ruan Xiangyan from Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, deemed as the "founder of ovarian tissue cryopreservation in China". Professor Ruan Xiangyan delivered full preparation for transfer conditions. Preoperatively, she would appoint colleagues to our hospital and immediately transfer the ovarian tissues to the cryopreservation bank of Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital. Subsequently, Director He Pengcheng contacted Professor Lyu Shulan from Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of our hospital to determine the date of surgery for this patient.
The team led by Director He Pengcheng from Department of Hematology intimately cooperated with the team of Professor Lyu Shulan from Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology to perform preoperative examination and evaluation, and they fully communicated with Professor Ruan Xiangyan about the operation details and tissue sampling requirements. Finally, endoscopic surgery was determined to collect partial ovarian tissues. In addition, the team of Department of Anesthesia also delivered intimate cooperation.
At the noon on June 11, the staff from cryopreservation bank of Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital arrived at the operating room before the surgery, carried with the transfer kit, and explicitly registered the information and materials. Feng Ou, a circulating nurse from operation room, was responsible for collecting the blood sample for the patient. Because the collected ovarian tissues should be preserved completely, no electrical instruments were employed during the whole operation. Li Long, Deputy Chief Physician from Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology paid extensive attention during the ovarian tissue sampling without injuring the ovarian tissues. After taking out the ovarian tissues, Professor Lyu Shulan quickly transferred the ovarian tissues into a special transport solution, which also preserved the "fire seed of hope" for the 26-year-old leukemia girl.
Subsequently, the staff from cryopreservation bank of Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital immediately flied back to Beijing for emergent tissue treatment, quality control and freezing to keep the patient’s hope of becoming a mother alive.
The patient was properly recovered after the endoscopic surgery. On June 17, she underwent hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Subsequently, the ovarian tissues will be re-implanted into the patient on an appropriate date.
