Partially Born Baby Receives Surgery to Survive Miraculously

A partially born baby receives surgery to survive miraculously. Doctors removed a tumor from his lung while still attached to the umbilical cord after he came out of the womb. Adrianna Mashburn said that people thought she was pregnant with triplets during her 28th week of pregnancy. The North Lima, Ohio pharmacy technician said that it was how big her belly was. 

Found a tumor

Soon, the 29-year-old found out that she had a buildup of amniotic fluid inside her tummy. A mass was squishing her baby's esophagus, so her little one could not process the amniotic fluid properly. Apart from that, the tumor was also pushing the infant's heart to the side. 

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Occurring between 12,000 and 25,000 pregnancies, Adrianna's baby has a Congenital Pulmonary Airway Malformation (CPAM). It is a rare congenital birth defect that consists of a mass of abnormal lung tissue. 

Only ten percent chance of survival

Adrianna said that doctors told her and her husband, Micah Mashburn, that their son would have about a ten percent chance of surviving. Doctors said that the little one was not going to make it. They told the couple to prepare for the worst. The Mashburns were devastated because they do not know why it is happening to them. 

Director of Fetal Care Center and Director of Fetal Surgery in Cleveland Clinic, Dr. Darrell Cass, explained the child's condition. Fetal lung malformation expert said that there is no genetic cause for masses like that, adding that it was just bad luck. 

(Photo : unsplash/National Cancer Institute)

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He was a fighter

The couple stayed optimistic and determined that their son would live. Adrianna said that she felt the baby moving around a lot that made her feel that her son is a fighter. The parents met Dr. Cass when they were 33 weeks and five days pregnant.

While most specialists in the past advised to have the surgery after the baby was born, Dr. Cass suggested removing the tumor after the baby was partially born. It meant that he would do the surgery while the baby was still attached to the umbilical cord. That way, the infant could still receive oxygen and nutrients from the placenta. 

Dr. Cass said that he had seen that scenario many times before, adding that he had successfully performed it 19 times. Micah had liked the doctor's approach. On June 11, Dr. Cass performed a C-section on Adrianna, and he quickly did the procedure on the baby.

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The mass was about the size of a grapefruit that is around 8 cm big. Then, Dr. Cass moved the infant to an operating table to complete the procedure. After spending six weeks in the NICU, The Mashburns baby, Maverick, was safe to go home on July 28. 

Now, at three months old, Maverick is a smiley, happy baby that weighs ten pounds and starts grabbing the toys of his two-year-old brother, Micah Jr. His parents are very grateful to Dr. Cass for giving them a child.