Sidra Medicine saves life of baby with Omphalocele

Sidra Medicine on Sunday said it has succeeded in saving the life of a child with an paraduodenal hernia known as 'Omphalocele'. As a fetus in his mother's womb, the child was suffering from a major abdominal wall, which means that his bowels, liver and other organs were sticking outside the abdomen, in a sac.During the consultations at Sidra Medicine, a multi-disciplinary team of physicians from maternal fetal medicine, neonatology and pediatric surgery met with the parents to discuss the options available regarding her baby's condition and the care that Sidra Medicine would be able to provide.

Prof. Karim Kalache

Division Chief of Maternal Fetal-Medicine at Sidra Medicine Prof. Karim Kalache, said: "Omphalocele is a rare condition that affects 1 in 5,000 births. Sidra Medicine has dealt with several cases in Qatar and we were well placed to guide the parents through the treatment and care process. It was critical to determine the size of the defect on the baby, which organs were affected, and to exclude associated anomalies. It was also important that the parents were aware of the risks and the opportunities of personalized care and treatment available. We discussed the wide spectrum of outcomes to ensure that Branca and her husband were able to make an informed decision regarding the birth and care program."Following regular monitoring of both mother and baby, Branca gave birth to Mikhail via a planned caesarian section at Sidra Medicine. A team of specialists were on hand to ensure that Mikhail would receive immediate medical attention as soon as he was born.Senior Attending Physician in General and Thoracic Surgery at Sidra Medicine Dr. Guy Brisseau, said: "Children born with Omphalocele can sometimes also have problems with their heart, spine, lungs as well as digestive organs. After Mikhail was born, he underwent a

Dr. Guy Brisseau

thorough check up and once it was determined that he wasntarget="_blank"'>The surgery was a major success where the surgeons rectified the hernia as well as closed the abdominal defect without the use of any mesh. After spending eight days in the pediatric intensive care unit and floor, Mikhail was sent home, and recovered in two months. He still regularly comes to Sidra Medicine for check-ups.