Tumor op in womb saves fetus

BBC News ^ | 22 June 2012 | Last updated at 05:15 ET

[Olog-hai]

Surgeons have removed a tumor from the mouth of a fetus, in what has been described as a "world first" procedure.

After a scan at 17 weeks, mother Tammy Gonzalez said she "could see a bubble" coming out of her baby's mouth.

Doctors said it was a very rare tumor called an oral teratoma and there was little chance her daughter would survive.

After the pioneering operation, baby Leyna was born five months later.

Doctors at the Jackson Memorial Hospital in Florida, said this type of tumor was so rare it had been seen only once in 20 years at the hospital.

In the procedure, Mrs. Gonzalez was put under a local anesthetic as a needle was pushed through the protective amniotic sac around the fetus.

A laser was then used to cut the tumor from Leyna's lips. The operation lasted just over an hour. …

[andyk]

Wow! That warms the heart.

[Olog-hai]

Yes, this is a story of real medicine. Kudos to the doctors.

Pet peeve, but I just hope they got the honorific right. I’ve seen the British newspapers call a Mrs. as “Ms.” often enough or such other oddities. (And where they used to have a period after an honorific, they now omit it, whether Mr. or Dr. or suchlike, they write as Mr and Dr and Mrs and Ms ad nauseam.)

[SWAMPSNIPER]

I’m surprised they didn’t say “mum” instead of mother.

[rawhide]

Leyna is now a healthy 20-month-old child