Kicking the Odds: The First Baby in North Texas to Undergo Surgery Before He Was Born

baby Uriah with his mom and dad

kicking the odds meet uriah: the first baby in north texas to undergo surgery before he was born

editorial submitted by friend steward partners at Medical City Children's Hospital Fetal Care Center

As Sarah Prowell and Sean Kirby watch their newborn, Uriah, kick his legs between naps, they are hopeful for his future. At 18 weeks pregnant, Uriah’s mom learned that he had spina bifida, a debilitating birth defect affecting 1,500 to 2,000 American babies a year. In its most severe form, babies with spina bifida are born with an opening in their backs that allows part of the spinal cord and nerves to protrude.

"We were both pretty distraught at first and worried about his life — the road ahead of him," Kirby said.

Without medical intervention, Uriah faced a list of potentially serious disabilities, including paralysis, lifelong bladder issues and infections.

Kevin Magee, a maternal-fetal medicine doctor and Medical City’s Medical Director of Fetal Interventions at Medical City Dallas, advised Uriah’s parents that his best option was to have spine surgery while still inside the womb. Early correction of these problems prior to birth can increase the odds of a healthy baby.

“I had never heard of fetal surgery before this,” Sarah said. “I was just excited that we could do something to help his future.”

Dr. Magee recommended Timothy Crombleholme, MD, director of the Fetal Care Center at Medical City Children’s Hospital, one of only a handful of surgeons and programs nationwide qualified to perform open surgery on unborn babies.

Dr. Crombleholme and a team of multidisciplinary specialists successfully performed complex open fetal surgery on Uriah last June — the first procedure of its kind at Medical City Children’s Hospital.

“Performing open fetal surgery is a team effort among many exceptionally skilled clinical experts,” Dr. Crombleholme said. “We have a very large multidisciplinary team that starts from the first moment a patient arrives.”

A comprehensive team of specialists cared for Uriah and Sarah, including a maternal-fetal specialist, Dr. Magee, a pediatric neurosurgeon and specialized, highly trained fetal nurses. This complex open fetal surgery should help mitigate lifelong disabilities for Uriah caused by spina bifida.

“It went beautifully,” Dr. Crombleholme said. “It really went without a hitch. We had as small as an incision can be for repairing a defect. It could not have gone better. We were really very, very pleased. Uriah is doing great.”

Uriah’s squirming and kicking his legs are signs of surgical success.

The Fetal Care Center at Medical City Children’s Hospital in Dallas is one of only a handful of centers in the world that has the capability to perform the full range of fetal interventions, from ultrasound-guided procedures to fetoscopic surgery to open fetal surgery and EXIT procedures.

“The thing I enjoy most is being able to make an impact in a child’s life,” Dr. Crombleholme said. “Not for a week, or a month or a year, but potentially for 85 years. Many of the conditions we treat are life-threatening, and these babies wouldn't be here without this intervention. And what really makes what I do so rewarding is when I get letters from moms on the occasion of their child's graduation from high school, remembering that day when they had surgery in utero to save their baby's life, and how that stays with them. That's very gratifying.”

Medical City Dallas is home to both Medical City Children’s Hospital and Medical City Women's Hospital Dallas, making its campus the only one in North Texas with

a full-service children’s hospital and an obstetric hospital within the same facility, keeping mother and her newborn together. Medical City Dallas has treated generations of women from North Texas and beyond since opening its doors more than 45 years ago and has a proud history of caring for the unique needs of women, including those with high-risk pregnancies and deliveries.

Medical City Children’s Hospital is a 208-bed comprehensive, awardwinning pediatric healthcare facility in Dallas, Texas, established in 1996. World-class pediatric specialties include congenital heart surgery, hematology and oncology, craniofacial surgery, kidney transplant, neurosurgery, orthopedics and fetal surgery. Medical City Children’s Hospital offers a Level IV NICU, the highest level of neonatal care available in Dallas. Medical City Children’s Hospital was recognized by The Joint Commission in 2015 as a top performer on key quality measures and was named a top 10 Best Hospital in Texas by U.S. News and World Report in 2018. Medical City Children’s Hospital is part of Medical City Healthcare, one of the region’s largest healthcare providers.

a sleeping baby Uriah

Medical City Healthcare offers high-quality labor and delivery services at nine locations throughout North Texas. Combining clinical excellence with highly personalized settings, Medical City hospitals feature spacious private rooms, choice of delivery methods, expert childbirth classes, celebratory gourmet meals and so much more — all backed by doctors, nurses and staff who are ready to help you create the memory of a lifetime. A birthing experience just right for mom and baby can be designed along with the highest levels of medical care. Medical City Women’s Hospital Dallas serves women with a wide variety of complex healthcare needs, from maternity to gynecology and cancer care. Medical City Women’s Hospital Dallas offers high-level clinical excellence in a peaceful, spa-like environment. A multidisciplinary team of physicians and specially trained staff provide leading edge treatment for women at all stages of life, including highrisk pregnancies and deliveries.

Learn more at WeDeliverDreams.com.