Life-Saving Intrauterine Surgery Performed on Cuban Mother's Baby in Florida for the First Time

Miami doctors saved the life of baby Lucas Hormachea by performing a groundbreaking surgery inside the womb of his mother, Lainey Ramos Arango, a Cuban national. This rare procedure was executed for the first time in Florida.

A report by Telemundo51 highlighted the medical milestone that took place at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami: Lucas underwent surgery to correct a blood vessel malformation in his brain while still in utero. The baby was delivered via cesarean section five weeks later without complications.

The intrauterine surgery, conducted by doctors from the University of Miami and the Jackson health system, was deemed a success, and today, the child is healthy. At 32 weeks of pregnancy, Lucas was diagnosed with a rare brain blood vessel anomaly that could cause heart failure, according to the report.

Medical Breakthrough

Dr. Rodrigo Ruano explained that Lucas had an aneurysm of the vein of Galen, which "can cause heart problems that could lead to failure and potentially death." The surgery was deemed essential.

"My world fell apart because the prognosis was very grim," confessed the mother, who faced the daunting decision to operate on her first child before birth. "My first baby, a full-term pregnancy, had no solution; it was very tough," Ramos admitted, her eyes welling up with tears as she recalled those moments.

The doctors at the Holtz Children’s Hospital within the Jackson health system recommended an intrauterine embolization, the first of its kind in the state of Florida. The young mother acknowledged her fear: "There are very few cases like this; I was scared," she told reporter Arly Alfaro. However, she understood it was the best option for her baby.

The procedure was carried out in a specially equipped operating room for intrauterine surgeries within the Neonatology Department at Jackson Memorial Hospital. According to the report, this type of procedure has been recorded only about five times worldwide.

Surgical Details

The surgeons shared some details of the operation with Telemundo51. "We were able to insert a small needle into Lucas's head, directly into the normal vessel, protecting the brain," explained Dr. Ruano, for whom this was the second surgery of its kind.

Weeks after the intervention, the doctor confirmed that the aneurysm had reduced by more than 60%. Dr. Robert Starke added, "Normally, this is something we treat after the baby is born, but by addressing it in the womb, we can reverse heart and lung problems, giving the brain time to develop."

Lucas will need to return to the hospital for follow-up exams, but his mother and doctors are hopeful that he will lead a normal life.