Maisie Savage from London underwent experimental fetal surgery while 26 weeks pregnant to correct a serious birth defect in her unborn son, Theo. The condition, known as gastroschisis, occurs when the belly button does not develop properly, causing the intestines to grow externally rather than inside the abdomen. Theo is now five months old and thriving following the groundbreaking intervention.
The surgery was part of a first-of-its-kind clinical trial led by Dr. Michael Belfort at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston. Prior to the main procedure, Maisie traveled to Leuven Hospital in Belgium to receive a Botox injection into Theo’s abdominal wall through her womb, designed to relax the muscles and facilitate the repair. The family then relocated to Texas for the operation performed in November. During surgery, doctors partially exposed Maisie’s womb, drained and replaced the amniotic fluid with carbon dioxide gas to create operating space, then used keyhole surgery to gently reposition Theo’s organs back into his abdomen before closing the abdominal wall with stitches.
Gastroschisis affects approximately one in 3,000 UK babies annually. Without this intervention, affected infants typically face weeks or months in intensive care, multiple surgeries, tube or intravenous feeding, and in complex cases, potential intestinal transplants. The condition carries a mortality rate of one in 10 babies even with comprehensive medical care. Theo represented the third baby worldwide to benefit from this pioneering trial.
Theо was carried to term and born in February following vaginal delivery in Texas without complications. Dr. Belfort reported that the surgery, mother, and baby all performed remarkably well with zero complications during and after the fetal intervention. Paolo de Coppi, professor of pediatric surgery at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London, indicated plans to perform the procedure in the United Kingdom on a larger scale if the trial continues to demonstrate success. Dr. Belfort expressed enthusiasm about future applications of in-utero surgery, suggesting potential interventions for cardiac and lung conditions could be possible.
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