Surgical breakthrough hits the menopause button

Women can delay the menopause for up to 20 years with a revolutionary surgical procedure.

The ­appeal of delaying menopause would be to reduce draining physical and emotional symptoms such as hot flushes, night sweats, memory problems, mood swings and anxiety.

Women can delay the menopause for up to 20 years in a medical breakthrough being ­offered by the fertility expert who pioneered IVF.

The revolutionary procedure could transform the lives of thousands of women by tricking their biological clocks into thinking they are much younger.

There are clear benefits for women whose menopause triggers serious health issues such as osteoporosis and heart problems. Women are living longer than ever, and many will find their menopausal years last longer than their fertile ones.

For millions of others, the ­appeal of delaying the menopause would be to reduce draining physical and emotional symptoms such as hot flushes, night sweats, memory problems, mood swings and anxiety.

It could also be attractive to women who want to slow the ­effects of ageing on their sex drive. The surgery, which takes 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 babies in their 60s.

The procedure, the first of its kind, is being offered privately to women up to the age of 40. Nine British women aged between 22 and 36 have already had the surgery, which removes a piece of one of their ovaries. The tissue is then frozen at -150C.

The ovarian tissue will be held in an ice bank until the women reach menopause. It will then be thawed and transplanted, where it will kickstart their natural hormones, delaying menopause.

One patient, 34, said she wanted to avoid having to take hormone replacement therapies in the future.

“I have to say I’ve never felt any pain, and it seems quite miraculous that it’s something so straightforward,” she said.

A version of the technique, called ovarian tissue cryopreservation, has already preserved fertility in women beginning treatment for cancer.

The Sunday Times