Dr. Michel Mouly managed to delay the onset of menopause in a 41-year-old French woman.
- In June 2023, Dr. Michel Mouly, surgeon, gynecologist and oncologist, performed a unique procedure on a 41-year-old woman.
- This allowed her to postpone her menopause by transplanting 13 fragments of a frozen ovary in 2018.
- “At the end of 5 months of observation and gynecological follow-up, it is a success, with the patient’s periods returning in November 2023,” noted the doctor.
The early menopause of a 41-year-old woman was postponed thanks to a new protocol. A first in France.
In June 2023, Dr. Michel Mouly, surgeon, gynecologist and oncologist, performed a unique procedure on a 41-year-old woman, allowing her to postpone menopause by grafting 13 fragments of an ovary frozen in 2018.
“At the end of 5 months of observation and gynecological follow-up, it is a success, with the patient’s periods returning in November 2023,” the doctor notes today.
Onset of early menopause: Nathalie’s story
In 2018, Nathalie was discovered to have a type brain tumor. “Oligodindroglioma” requiring surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and immunotherapy. This heavy management includes risks of destruction of ovarian function. Under these conditions and to preserve reproduction, an ovary is removed by laparoscopy and frozen.
“5 years after the start of her treatment, Nathalie came to see me for the first time. At the age of 41, she was already showing signs of premenopause”traces Dr. Michel Mouly. “Her assessment at the time showed that the remaining ovary was still functional but not at its maximum activity. She had very few symptoms, but the bone densitometry showed weakened bones with a risk of osteoporosis occurring in the years to come”, he continues.
He is then given advice: physical activity, vitamin D and dietary calcium intake. She is also asked to be vigilant and to return for consultation on a regular basis. Unfortunately, the Covid crisis only allowed her to return 16 months later with a mammogram, and this time she was definitely in menopause.
“I then mentioned to him the possibility of setting up a protocol to replace his frozen ovary and to postpone this early menopause”, explains the surgeon.
13 ovarian fragments transplanted to postpone menopause
In consultation with the patient, Professor Catherine Poirot, Dr Anne Fortin and Dr Michel Mouly, it was then decided to graft 13 ovarian fragments out of the 20 taken and frozen.
This intervention takes place under laparoscopy at the end of June 2023. Nathalie’s periods returned in November 2023 with a normal ovarian reserve on pelvic ultrasound. At the end of the intervention, three spontaneous cycles were also noted with disappearance of the symptoms of menopause.
There are now 7 frozen ovarian fragments left which can be transplanted when menopause arrives again.
Postponed menopause: “This avoids the use of drug treatments”
“It is a first in France to postpone the age of menopause in this case of advanced menopause due to cancer treatments, the ovarian sample being usually done to preserve reproductive function”, welcomes Michel Mouly.
“This intervention would avoid the use of drug treatments by being as natural as possible with regular and codified monitoring,” he concludes.
