Against All Odds: EXIT Procedure Helps Baby Farrah Start Strong

After consultations with multiple hospitals for her complex pregnancy, expecting mom Jordan made it to the Children’s Mercy Fetal Health Center just in time. “When Jordan was in the fetal MRI, we started to notice that she was starting to go into labor!” said Inna Lobeck, MD, FACS, FAAP, Surgical Director, Fetal Health Center. “I’m so glad she came when she did.”

Prenatal testing revealed that baby Farrah had a large tumor called a mediastinal teratoma in her chest. Her Fetal Health Center team was concerned that it would affect Farrah’s ability to breathe once she was born.

“Whenever we have airway issues, seconds and minutes matter,” said Michael Puricelli, MD, Medical Director, Comprehensive Otology and Hearing Program, Pediatric Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery. The team decided to perform an EXIT procedure – a partial C-section that allows surgeons to operate while the baby is still connected to the placenta for support. This unique and complex procedure takes a team of more than 40 people in the operating room to support both mom and baby.

Jordan, her husband and three older children live in Garnett, Kan., over an hour from Children’s Mercy, so they were grateful for the Ronald McDonald House during Farrah’s time in the NICU and PICU. As a nurse herself, Jordan was impressed with the level of care she and Farrah received at Children’s Mercy, where both of them had access to specialists from Fetal Health/Obstetrics, our Level IV NICU, Cardiology and Ear, Nose and Throat – all in one place.

Watch the video above to learn more about Farrah’s incredible story and the elite team of experts who helped her get the best possible start to life.