The world's first ovary transplant operation conducted in east China's Zhejiang Province has proved to be a great success, giving the patient a second chance at normal life.

The English-Language newspaper China Daily reported Wednesday that Tang Fangfang, 34, the ovary receiver, was discharged from the hospital after recovery on Monday.

"We have never performed such an operation before, and we are glad we did it," said Zheng Wei a professor at the Second Affiliated Hospital at Zhejiang Medical Science University, where the operation was conducted on March 5.

He added such operations had only been performed on animals before.

Fangfang lived a joyful life with her 10-year-old daughter until she was diagnosed with an ovarian tumor two years ago.

Doctors said she needed an ovary transplant. Luckily, her sister was a match.

"This is a very unusual case because such matches usually only exist among twins," Zheng said.

"The newly planted ovary is working properly in Fangfang's body now,” Zheng said. "And our continuous checks show that her female hormone level has also returned to normal."

Experts said this operation marked as a significant breakthrough in the reproductive surgery as the "test-tube baby."

More such operations will be performed on women who can not have children because of cancer treatment.

( March 27, 2002)