Surgeons save baby’s life by removing orange-sized tumor while still in womb

December 28, 2009 by Shawn Douglas
Filed under: News

A medical team saved the life of a baby boy this year after removing a massive tumor lodged in his throat while still in the womb.

Four months ago, a special team of 25 medical staff at Jessop Hospital performed a series of surgeries to save the life of baby Arthur Fountain. Today, Arthur Fountain is alive and well, though still with a breathing tube attached.

The ordeal began earlier this year when Michelle Fountain was told during a routine scan that her baby had a massive growth on the front of its neck. Michelle and husband Matthew Fountain were referred to Jessop Hospital for a more thorough scan.

The scan revealed that if Arthur were to be born normally, he would not survive. The orange-sized tumor would inevitably block his airway.

Saurabh Gandhi, an obstetric consultant and sub-specialist in fetomaternal medicine at Jessop Hospital, told the Telegraph, “If we had delivered Arthur normally or by a Caesarean section, it would have been very likely that he would have died immediately.”

A team that included 10 specialists was assembled and a plan was made. The team put both the mother and baby under anesthesia. They partially opened up Michelle Fountain’s stomach and delivered only the head and shoulders of baby Arthur. The team wanted to ensure that Arthur received vital oxygen from the placenta while they introduced a breathing tube.

Afterwards, Arthur was fully delivered and rushed to an operating room where staff worked to remove the tumor for four hours. They discovered that the tumor was non-cancerous. Baby Arthur was then placed on a ventilator and placed in intensive care for several weeks before he was allowed to go home.

Michelle Fountain, who is also the mother of daughters Harriet, ten, and Lottie, seven, told the Telegraph: “Every day I look at him and can’t believe we’ve come home with him. He’s a very happy and contented baby which is amazing after all he’s been through. The care and support we received was fantastic. We were treated like royalty, and we are both doing very well now.”

“Hopefully, Arthur’s tracheotomy tube will be taken out before his first birthday and he will have no lasting damage which is incredible considering the size of his tumor,” she told The Daily Mail.