A baby boy in the UK has been described as having been “born twice” after doctors temporarily removed his mother’s womb with him still inside to carry out life-saving cancer surgery.
Lucy Isaac, 32, was 12 weeks pregnant when she received the news that she had ovarian cancer following a routine scan. Doctors warned that delaying treatment until after birth would pose a serious risk to her life, yet the pregnancy was too far along for conventional keyhole surgery.
In an operation at 20 weeks, surgeons removed Lucy’s womb from her body so they could access and remove tumours behind it. Her unborn baby, Rafferty, remained inside the uterus throughout the five-hour procedure. The womb stayed connected to Lucy’s blood supply via the uterine artery, allowing oxygen and nutrients to reach the baby.
Dr Hooman Soleymani Majd, who led the team of 15, including anaesthetists and nurses, said it was the most complex procedure he had performed. “It was rare and emotional – a moment I’ll never forget,” he said.
To keep conditions stable for Rafferty, the womb – about the size of a football – was wrapped in sterile, warm saline packs and carefully monitored throughout the surgery. His heart rate and temperature were closely watched, and the packs were replaced every 20 minutes to maintain the correct warmth.
Once the tumours were removed, Lucy’s womb was gently returned to her body and the pregnancy continued as normal. Rafferty was eventually born safely at the end of January, weighing 6lb 5oz.
Lucy said she felt “incredibly lucky” to have been diagnosed and treated in time, especially as she had experienced no symptoms. Her husband, Adam, a musician and former Voice UK contestant who underwent a kidney transplant just two years earlier, described finally holding their son as “the most amazing moment”, as reported by Daily Mail.
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The family have since returned to the hospital to thank the team who made Rafferty’s safe arrival possible. Adam is now preparing to compete in the British Transplant Games this July.
Ovarian cancer affects around 7,000 women in the UK each year, with many cases diagnosed too late for curative treatment. Lucy’s case stands as a powerful testament to the potential of modern medicine – and the resilience of both mother and child.
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