Baby's Abdominal Defect Successfully Treated with Surgery

Early in her pregnancy, Abigail Galecki's physician suspected an abnormality. Abigail was referred to University of Chicago obstetrician and maternal-fetal specialist, Judith Hibbard, MD. Four months into Abigail's pregnancy, Hibbard diagnosed her unborn child with gastroschisis--a serious abdominal defect in which the organs flow freely throughout the body from a hole in the abdominal wall. Dr. Hibbard monitored the baby's condition closely throughout Abigail's pregnancy through ultrasound.

Abigail's multidisciplinary team of physicians had planned to induce the birth to decrease the chance of complications, but, two days before her scheduled delivery date, Abigail went into labor. Worried about the baby's gastroschisis, Dr. Hibbard's team performed a Cesarean section when they delivered her daughter, Peyton.

Immediately after Peyton's birth, Donald Liu, MD, PhD, an internationally renowned expert in minimally invasive pediatric surgical techniques, set to work correcting her gastroschisis. Baby Peyton's condition was serious; her bowel, colon, gall bladder, liver, and ovaries were all outside of her abdomen. Dr. Liu's team enclosed the loose organs in a plastic silo, from which they fell into her abdomen through pressure and gravity. This process took several days, but, a week after her birth, Dr. Liu was able to close Peyton's stomach--the operation was a success.

Abigail was finally able to hold her baby. "It feels wonderful to hold Peyton. I waited for it a long time," she said. Two weeks later, Abigail brought Peyton home. "Everything's going well," Abigail reports. "She's on anti-seizure medication, but with the help of Dr. Hibbard we're weaning her off it." Despite a complicated birth and an even more complicated operation, Peyton is now a healthy and happy baby thanks to the experts at the University of Chicago Comer Children's Hospital.