Mother and baby doing well after surgery for mother’s cancer during pregnancy

Image credit: OUH / NHS England via Facebook

A mother and baby are doing well after the mother underwent a surgery for ovarian cancer during her pregnancy that involved lifting out her uterus from her abdomen with her unborn child still inside, during the operation.

In April this year, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (OUH) shared the story of Lucy Isaac, 32, who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer when she was 12 weeks pregnant with her baby boy. Doctors determined that Ms Isaac would need surgery to remove the cancer cells, however, she was too advanced for a standard keyhole surgery and they were concerned that waiting until the birth of her child could increase the chance of the cancer spreading.

In October 2024, a surgical team, consisting of 15 people and headed by Mr Hooman Soleymani Majd, an OUH consultant, performed a five-hour surgery on Ms Isaac which involved a rare type of procedure where the doctors lifted her uterus outside of her abdomen, with her unborn baby boy still inside, which then allowed the surgeons to remove the cancer cells in her ovaries. Although doctors had to temporarily remove her uterus, it remained connected to the uterine artery in order for the baby to continue to receive his supply of blood and oxygen. It also remained connected to the left fallopian tube and cervix. Two members of the team held the uterus during the procedure. At the end of the surgery, Ms Isaac’s uterus was put back into place.

An examination of the cancer that was removed determined it to be stage 2 cancer, meaning that it was also in the tissue surrounding the ovaries and meant that the surgery was much more needed than expected. The surgery was also more complex, particularly for Ms Hooman Soleymani Majd, who had only done this procedure on stage 1 cancers, and the uterus had to be out of place for two hours; twice the time needed in his previous surgeries.

Three months after the surgery, Ms Isaac and her husband Adam welcomed their baby boy Rafferty.

Speaking of the success of the procedure, Ms Hooman Soleymani Majd said: "I am pleased with the success of the procedure. It was a complex and challenging operation, but the dedication and expertise of our multidisciplinary team ensured a positive outcome for both Lucy and her baby.”

"When baby Rafferty, visited us at two weeks after being born, it was immensely emotional moment for me and the team,” he continued. "This achievement not only highlights the advancements in medical science but also reinforces our commitment to providing innovative and life-saving procedures. I am grateful for the trust placed in us, and proud of the collaborative effort that made this possible."

"I had no symptoms before the diagnosis. I feel incredibly lucky that I was not only diagnosed in time, but also able to undergo the procedure without jeopardising my pregnancy,” Ms Isaac said. "My husband Adam and I were made aware of the risks, but we had faith in Mr Hooman Soleymani Majd and the team. I am immensely grateful to everyone involved in saving me and my baby."

"To finally hold Rafferty in our arms after everything we have been through was the most amazing moment,” said Ms Isaac’s husband, Adam. "The care Lucy received at OUH has been incredible. I am grateful to everyone involved for saving my wife and baby."

In an update on the family, shared by NHS England on social media a year after this surgery, Ms Isaac has recently underwent a follow up surgery and is currently recovering well at home, whilst baby Rafferty is also thriving and starting to crawl and walk along side the furniture at just seven and a half months.

“We are so grateful to the amazing NHS, and in particular to Mr Soleymani Majd and his team at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust,” Ms Isaac said. “I feel so lucky that I had Mr Soleymani Majd and his team on the surgery, they are the best! It was difficult to recover from the surgery whilst looking after Rafferty, but my wonderful husband, family and friends have all been invaluable in helping.”

“Rafferty is amazing - he loves crawling around and even walking along the furniture. I certainly wasn’t expecting that at seven and a half months, let alone when thinking about what we had to go through to get him here,” she continued.

“When I think back to this time last year, I can’t believe how lucky we are. As the first anniversary of my first surgery approaches, we are so thankful every day.”

Sandra Parda of the Life Institute commented, saying: “What an incredible story and what an incredible team of doctors as well as a very brave mother! It is so wonderful what modern medicine can achieve and that both mother and baby have been given a chance to live thanks to the intervention of this medical team.”

“Many proponents for abortion will use a case, like requiring cancer treatment, as a reason to justify abortion for “medical reasons”, however abortion is never medically necessary and a case like this just shows what we can do when we think about caring for both mother and baby as opposed to a mindset that suggests it has to be one or the other.”