[Free uterine autograft fragments interposed on the opposite uterine horn in the female rat].

Vascularised grafts of the tubes have practically been given up now that such progress has been made by in vitro fertilisation. All the same, the possibility of non-vascularised grafts must still exist. We have carried out an experimental study on the uterus of rats. A piece of the uterus 1 cm long was taken from each cornu. After switching the right to the left and vice versa, the grafts were sewn into new sites, either the right way up or the wrong way up, using a microsurgical suture technique. Three out of 20 animals that were operated on became pregnant after having been serviced by the male, of which one was pregnant in both horns. This success was usually associated with putting the graft in the right way round and with an absence of intra-peritoneal adhesions. Of those uteri that did not become pregnant only one had an almost normal histological appearance. All the other had lesions suggestive of more or less severe progressive inflammatory changes or of scar tissue formation. Much more work will be necessary to improve these results for this type of grafting before they can be used in women, whether they be auto or allografts. The main good result from this technique would derive from its ease of operation and eventually a reduction in immunological problems that arise from allografts.