Entertainment
Surgeons attempt operation never done in UK to save baby with tumour while in womb
Tonight’s episode of Baby Surgeons: Delivering Miracles proved to be an emotional rollercoaster, as one woman hoped to save her unborn son who had a tumour.
The new Channel 4 programme focuses on patients in the Fetal Medicine unit at St George’s Hospital in London, who give parents hope and babies a chance at life
This evening’s episode followed expectant mother Zoe, who had fallen pregnant with her son who unfortunately had a cystic tumour around his neck.
Even though the tumour was benign, it was pushing against the baby’s airway, which could mean that it won’t be able to breathe for itself once born. It’s a very rare case, affecting around 1 in 20,000 pregnancies.
In an emotional section of the episode, Zoe writes a letter to her unborn baby.
‘A large tumour is growing around your neck and the doctors are worried you won’t be able to breathe when you’re born,’ she said, reading it aloud.
‘I don’t want you to suffer. You’re not here yet but that doesn’t matter, you’re part of our family already.’
Professor Basky and the team are planning an operation to insert a breathing tube into Zoe’s baby’s airway while it’s still in the womb. It’s a procedure which has never been performed in the UK before.
Unfortunately if the surgery isn’t a success, the airway will be blocked and could negatively affect the baby, which was clearly difficult news for the parents to hear.
‘My fear is him having a lack of oxygen when he’s born. We just want him to be as healthy as he can be,’ Zoe said.
Her husband added: ‘Without suffering.’
Zoe revealed she decided to call her son Harry after both of her grandads.
Professor Basky explained that if the procedure isn’t successful and they can’t create an airway, they are going to undertake a modified caesarean procedure that will allow them to deliver the baby up to its chin and confidently put the breathing tube down.
‘It’s a risky operation, mum can haemorrhage greatly,’ he added.
Unfortunately due to the nature of the procedure, her husband was unable to be in the room.
‘I think today was one of the hardest things in my life, seeing my wife go in there,’ he said.
The first thing the surgeons have to do is put a telescope inside Zoe’s stomach so that they can try and find the nose of the baby.
Unfortunately, they had to halt the operation and had to go with plan B, as they couldn’t get under the tongue.
Even though it was touch and go, the birth was a success, but Harry needed to be put on a ventilator in hopes that he will soon be able to breath on his own.
In one touching scene, we witness baby Harry being taken off the ventilator to see if he can breathe without assistance.
‘Though he’s breathing, they’re not regular and rigorous efforts,’ one surgeon explained.
Thankfully eight months later, we witness a young Harry looking happy, healthy and the cyst is slowly but surely shrinking on its own.
Viewers were blown away by the surgery and how well everyone involve handled it.
‘I can’t believe we just witnessed all of their incredible efforts on screen,’ one person tweeted.
Another added: ‘I can’t believe baby Harry is alive and well. My emotions can’t handle it.’
‘I am so happy Harry survived,’ another viewer wrote.
All episodes of Baby Surgeons: Delivering Miracles can be watched on E4.
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