Maisie Savage, 29, was 26 weeks pregnant when she traveled from London to Houston for something few parents can imagine: surgery inside her own uterus.
Her baby, Theo, had gastroschisis: his intestines were growing outside his abdomen. Doctors at Texas Children’s Hospital, led by Dr. Michael Belfort, partially exposed the uterus, drained the amniotic fluid and, using minimally invasive instruments, returned the organs to their place while Theo was still unborn. It was only the third case in the world using this technique.
Theo was born healthy in February, by vaginal delivery, after completing the pregnancy. “It’s a little miracle, isn’t it?”, Maisie told the BBC.
Today, at 5 months old, he is a completely normal baby — something that just a few years ago would have been almost impossible.
