In a rare medical miracle, a baby was 'born twice' in the UK. After 20 weeks pregnant, teacher Lucy Isaac from Oxford underwent an operation of 5 hours to remove ovarian cancer, where surgeons temporarily removed her womb with her son. After the treatment of cancer, Rafferty Isaac was reduced to the womb and was delivered on the full period, with a weight of 6LB 5OZ at the end of January, Daily mail reported.
Lucy and Rafferty recently visited the John Radcliffe Hospital weeks after the operation to thank surgeon Soleymani Majd. He described the experience as rare and emotional and felt a sense of familiarity with the baby.
In particular, when Lucy, 32, 12 weeks pregnant, she received a shocking diagnosis of ovarian cancer after a routine ultrasound. Doctors in the John Radcliffe Hospital believed that postponing the treatment until after birth could spread the cancer, which would endanger her life. Due to the advanced stage of her pregnancy, standard key hole surgery was not possible, so that doctors were explored alternative options.
A team led by Dr. Soleymani Majd then proposed a rare and complex procedure to remove the cancer cells, while the unborn child, Rafferty, remained in the womb during the operation. This risky operation, only carried out a handful of times worldwide, temporarily included the removal of Lucy's womb, with rafferty to get access to and the cancer. Despite the risks, Lucy and her husband Adam relied on the medical team and underwent the procedure in October.
The procedure was Dr. Majd's most complex matter because of the advanced phase of Lucy's tumors. However, the operation was successful and Rafferty was delivered safely at the end of January. The birth was particularly emotional for the family, because Adam had undergone a kidney transplant in 2022.
Adam said: “To finally keep Rafferty in our arms after everything we have experienced was the most amazing moment.”
A team of 15 medical professionals supported Dr. Majd during the procedure, in which Lucy's uterus was temporarily removed and at the same time connected with vital blood vessels and tissues to guarantee the safety of rafferty.
During the operation, Lucy's womb, with rafferty, was carefully wrapped in a hot saline solution to maintain a safe temperature and to be closely checked by two doctors. The package was replaced every 20 minutes to prevent the temperature of Rafferty from falling. The medical team removed a tumor monster for research that revealed a class two cancer. After removing the cancer -like tissue, the uterus was gently returned to its original position and Lucy's belly was captured again.
The womb was outside of Lucy's body for two hours, longer than the earlier procedures of Dr. Majd. Lucy felt “incredibly happy” to have been diagnosed and treated even though they had no symptoms. Ovarian cancer affects 7,000 women in the UK annually, with two -thirds diagnosed and more than 4,000 deaths per year.
