Doctors Perform First-ever Successful Brain Surgery On Baby Inside Womb And Now She's Healthy

Louisiana couple Kenyatta and Derek Coleman were overjoyed to learn they were expecting another child, especially since genetic testing showed a low-risk pregnancy.

However, their joy turned to concern during Kenyatta's 30-week ultrasound when the doctor noticed abnormalities in the baby's brain and enlarged heart.

The diagnosis was a vein of Galen malformation (VOGM), a rare and potentially deadly blood vessel abnormality in the brain.

Studies show that one-third of VOGM patients do not survive, one-third suffer from neurocognitive compromise, and only one-third survive without significant compromise.

The Colemans decided to join a clinical trial for treatment despite the risks. The risks included preterm labor or brain hemorrhage for the baby.

The surgery performed by a team at Boston Children's Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital involved cutting into the womb, followed by the baby's skull and operating on the fetus's developing brain.

An ultrasound was used to locate the baby's artery and assist in the procedure.

Boston Children's Hospital

The surgery was documented in a case study published in the American Heart Association's journal Stroke and was conducted at 34 weeks and two days gestational age.

Dr. Louise Wilkins-Haug, division director of Maternal-Fetal Medicine and Reproductive Genetics at Brigham and Women¡¯s Hospital, worked alongside Dr. Darren Orbach to ensure the fetus was in the correct position before the surgery.

According to Wilkins-Haug, they utilized a technique borrowed from previous in-utero cardiac surgeries to make sure the fetus was immobilized and pain-free during the procedure.

Wilkins-Haug explained that they gave the fetus "a small injection of medication so that it¡¯s not moving, and it is also getting a small injection of medication for pain relief."

Then, the doctors inserted a needle through the mother's abdominal wall and threaded a catheter through it, allowing the tiny metal coils to slow the blood flow and reduce the pressure in the baby's vein.

(Also read: What Are High-Risk Pregnancies And How Doctors Deal With It)

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Orbach expressed his excitement at the success of the embolization, stating, "It was exhilarating at the moment that we had technical success at doing the embolization."

After the procedure, the baby showed immediate signs of improvement, with scans showing decreased blood pressure in key areas.

However, the outcome of the procedure would depend on what happened next for Kenyatta, the baby's mother. "Will she be able to show progress after continuously? Will she need just additional support after I have her? Will she go into immediate heart failure still?" Kenyatta wondered.

The baby, Denver Coleman, was born two days post-operation weighing 4.2 pounds, lighter than the typical full-term newborn's weight of six to nine pounds, but had no congenital disabilities and only minimal complications.

¡°I heard her cry for the first time and that just, I ¨C I can¡¯t even put into words how I felt at that moment,¡± Kenyatta told in an interview with CNN. ¡°It was just, you know, the most beautiful moment being able to hold her, gaze up on her and then hear her cry.¡±

¡°I gave her a kiss, and she was just making little baby noises and stuff,¡± said Derek. He added, ¡°That was all I needed right there.¡±

At 34 weeks and two days, a Boston Children's Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital team performed groundbreaking surgery on the fetus, cutting into the womb and ultimately operating on the developing brain.

After the procedure, Denver Coleman was born at 4.2 pounds with no congenital disabilities and limited complications.

MRI scans showed no signs of abnormal blood flow three weeks after birth, and the baby required no cardiovascular assistance.

According to the lead study author, Dr. Darren Orbach, the infant is progressing remarkably well, gaining weight, and eating normally.

This groundbreaking surgery marks a paradigm shift in managing VOGM, where repairing the malformation before birth may significantly reduce the risk of long-term brain damage, disability, or death among infants.

Further trials are underway to assess the safety and efficacy of this approach, which researchers and the FDA hope to expand.

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