Foetus removed from inside four-month-old baby in Oman

Muscat: A surgical team from the Royal Hospital (RH)’s Paediatric Surgery department has successfully performed a rare operation on a four-month old baby with a foetus in foetu condition, the Ministry of Health has announced.
The four-month old baby was transferred from a health institution in Oman to Royal Hospital after he was diagnosed with a large tumour in the abdominal area.
A statement from Royal Hospital, read, "The surgery was performed by the Paediatric Surgery Department at Royal Hospital, and they were able to treat a rare condition called "foetus in foetu" for a four-month-old child. This is rare in the world because it occurs in exceptional circumstances."
The surgical intervention was headed by Dr. Mohammed Bin Jaafar Al Sagwani, Senior Consultant and Head of Paediatric Surgery, and Dr. Mohamed Al Metwally, Paediatric Surgeon, in collaboration with anesthesiologists and nursing staff.
Dr. Al Sagwani said, "The hospital received the child and undertook several tests and diagnostic radiations in order to identify the nature of the tumour," adding that the tests revealed that a nearly fully formed foetus (non-living) was inside the child.
"It was decided that an urgent operation to remove the foetus had to be undertaken because of the danger it posed to the child's life. The surgical team managed to remove the foetus through an operation that lasted for three hours, thanks to the efficiency of the surgical staff," he explained.
According to the hospital, the child was discharged after just three days.
About the challenges they faced, Dr. Al Metwally pointed out, "The child had a near-completed embryo inside, which affected the functions of his respiratory system. We were required to study his condition and health status in order to complete anesthesia before the operation.”
“Another major problem was the foetus was bonded with aorta of the heart, as well as with vital organs such as the stomach, duodenum, pancreas, liver and gallbladder, which put the child's life at risk," he further said.
The father of the child confirmed that his son was able to return to his normal life after three days of surgery, and the child can now grow up to carry on with his life activities as normal.
Foetus-in-foetu (FIF) is a rare condition in which a vertebrate fetus is enclosed within the body of its twin in diamniotic monochorionic pregnancy. It occurs in about 1 in every 500,000 live births worldwide.