Women can delay the menopause by up to 20 years thanks to a medical advance pioneered by the scientist who developed IVF, reports said.
The ground-breaking procedure could transform the lives of thousands of women by freezing tissue from their ovaries and tricking their biological clocks into thinking they are much younger than they are.
There are huge benefits for women for whom the menopause causes serious health problems such as osteoporosis and heart problems.
It could also rid women of the curse of hot flushes, night sweats, memory problems, mood swings and anxiety all of which are side effects of the menopause, according to the Sunday Times.
It could also be attractive to women who want to boost their sex drive.
The operation, which could take as little as 30 minutes, could also extend their fertility although doctors insist the aim is to postpone the menopause rather than allow women to have more babies when they are older. The procedure, the first of its kind in the world, is being offered privately to women up to the age of 40.
Nine British women between aged between 22 and 36 have already undergone the surgery, which removes a piece of one of their ovaries. The tissue is then frozen to -150C.
The ovarian tissue will then be held in an ice bank until the women reach the menopause.
It will then be thawed and transplanted back into them where it will kickstart their natural hormones – delaying the menopause.
One of the nine guinea pigs, a 34 year old married mother of one who said the wanted to avoid having to take HRT in future said: “I have to say I never felt any pain, and it seems quite miraculous that it’s something so straightforward.”
A 10th British woman, Dixie-Louise Dexter has also undergone the procedure and had her ovarian tissue immediately transplanted back inside her to avoid premature menopause.
The 33-year-old had a hysterectomy because of the agony of endometriosis but had pioneering surgery at the same time to avoid premature menopause. “Being able to delay the menopause if life-changing,” she said.
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