title: Ethico-legal issues related to ovarian tissue transplantation.
abstract: Ovarian tissue transplantation (OTT) is a promising experimental method which may soon become well-established. In cases of minor oncology, where patients' fertility is seriously threatened by treatment, it may be applied as a unique fertility preservation option. OTT has a dual nature ('organ' and 'gamete'). Many stakeholders are involved, including donor, recipient, child, health-care providers and society at large. There is considerable uncertainty about the long-term consequences of the application of OTT and OT cryopreservation (OTC). Thus, application of OTT gives rise to a number of very different ethico-legal issues and dilemmas which are hard to solve coherently through a principlism-based bioethical approach. This study focuses on such dilemmas and attempts to review them. The role of virtue ethics, which may be combined with principlism, is essential to solve such dilemmas coherently and reasonably. Dealing with conflicts of ethical principles equivalent between them, or moral dilemmas without available answers and mind-sharing in a difficult interpersonal process of decision making, requires a virtue-based ethical approach. Besides, ethico-legal issues related to OTC/OTT are complex issues requiring a multidisciplinary approach (ethical considerations, medical, psychological and social evaluations etc.). We stress the crucial role of multidisciplinary Ethics Committee which is considered indispensable for each reproductive health-care unit practicing OTC/OTT.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Voultsos
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Raikos
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Vasileiadis
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Ch
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Spiliopoulou
authors.affiliation: 3 Infertility and IVF Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tarlatzis
keywords: Ovarian tissue transplantation; bioethical principles; health; oncofertility; ovarian tissue cryopreservation; virtue ethics