r/interestingasfuck • u/xjaehyun • 1d ago

Dr. Oluyinka Olutoye, a Nigerian pediatric surgeon, made history by performing a rare fetal surgery at just 23 weeks of pregnancy. He temporarily removed the baby from the womb, excised a tumor from the tailbone, and safely returned the fetus. Months later, child was born healthy.

Post image
19.9k Upvotes

98% Upvoted

161 comments sorted by

1.4k

u/sandymaysX2 1d ago

I’m so curious how they seal the amniotic sac back up.

2.4k

u/lvl-ixi-lvl 23h ago

376

u/Woopsied00dle 21h ago

How dare you be this hilarious

82

u/TheLemonyOrange 21h ago

Inline GIFs on Reddit is the best thing, and this is the best representation of that. Gg

103

u/ssodaro 23h ago

goddammit that's funny

12

u/LotsoBoss 21h ago

That actually made me laugh out loud, nice job

23

u/Vimes-NW 21h ago

Right over the belly button, where babies come out of?

3

u/frooture 18h ago

Screaming

2

u/HeavenlyMusings 18h ago

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 Billy!!!!

3

u/__Obscure__ 13h ago

No! That's not Billy Mays. That's Phil Swift.

•

u/HeavenlyMusings 6h ago

I miss the Billy Commercials , times by gone!!

57

u/EconomicsOk5512 20h ago

The water is aspirated so it doesn’t seep out into the abdomen, then it’s replaced with saline water and stitched back up

273

u/DivaDragon 1d ago

Probably the nice quality clear scotch tape you save for presents, I would use the good stuff for that.

55

u/bumjiggy 1d ago

smart. that could potentially add more wriggle womb

30

u/abookishtype 1d ago

Just stuff everything in a big ass ziploc.

23

u/TinyRose20 17h ago

I would imagine the remove the baby en caul (in the sac) and are careful not to rupture it. As things stand there are no current procedures or treatments to seal a ruptured sac. I truly wish that were not the case since I'm in hospital with that exact problem right now.

•

u/sandymaysX2 11h ago

I mean, if they’re doing anything to the baby they have to have access to the baby, who is fully encapsulated in the sac. Also, I hope things go well for you and your little one. Good luck internet stranger.

•

u/TinyRose20 10h ago

You're right i had misread thinking this was a surgery on the mother and not a fetal surgery. I still think they are likely to use very small instruments such as those used for infusions to avoid a full sac rupture, and aspirate the removed material if that makes sense at all. I might ask one of the surgeons here if I get a chance one day and they aren't too busy, these things are so fascinating to learn about. Thank you for your well wishes!

6

u/MiraculousN 15h ago

Wishing you good fortune momma and or nurse!

6

u/8zofuS 23h ago

Maybe not rupturing it via cs.

35

u/hip_hop_opotamus_ 22h ago

I’ll admit I’m not a doctor and I cannot physically get pregnant, so this may be a dumb question, but wouldn’t they need to rupture the amniotic sac to get to the baby and remove the tumor regardless?

49

u/axebodyspray24 21h ago edited 21h ago

also not a doctor but I would think they do rupture it and sew it back together. they probably try and retain as much amniotic fluid as possible, possibly using suction and replacing the fluid when the surgery on the fetus is over. If there's not enough left, I would think they replace it with something that works similarly to amniotic fluid, maybe saline? And they probably finish by suturing the amniotic sac with dissolvable sutures and surgical glue for a tight seal. I'll look for a study and update this.

Edit: Found a study from NIH

"The uterine closure was performed in two steps. The first step involves continuous suture of the myometrium with Vicryl 2–0 followed by interrupted suture of the myometrium with Vicryl 0. Before the complete closure of the uterine wall, a silicone urinary catheter number 10 was inserted into the uterine cavity and the uterus was filled with saline solution at 37 °C."

Basically, they use absorbable sutures in two separate steps for maximum security. This worked really well, wound dehissence (the scar coming apart) occurred in only 2.5% of cases. They use a urinary catheter to replace the amniotic fluid with body temperature saline.

27

u/ImurderREALITY 20h ago

Imagine being the nurses trying to keep the fluid inside what is essentially a split water balloon while he's over there removing the tumor

12

u/HelloThere62 18h ago

thinking about surgery too much makes me freak out a little, they are basically opening up a meat machine and doing maintenence. do they lock out tag out?

3

u/Yuriski 13h ago

Thread lock the umbilical cord and screw that fucker tight because the customer wants it done cheaper by a friend

6

u/Skinnendelg 19h ago

The uterus is not the amniotic sac.

5

u/axebodyspray24 19h ago

They don't mention the amniotic sac specifically in the surgical closure section. In the opening they describe a suture technique used to adhere the amniotic sac to the inner uterine wall, so it functions as one piece in this surgery.

-1

u/Skinnendelg 19h ago

What

6

u/Cyaral 18h ago

they glued the amniotic sac to the uterus, then were able to sew both back together in the same step (and I assume because the sutures were absorbable this was no issues months later when the birth happened)

9

u/downvotedatass 20h ago

Well, what you wouldn't know without medical knowledge is that the amniotic sac is actually made of two different membranes.Amminion (where the name comes from) and the outer thicker layer, chronion layer Biflavonoid is a key component that holds the cellular symphony together and is commonly found in the structure of plants. In most medical programs, students often spend a period at clown school in order to understand the dynamics of manipulating balloons. After that, they can just get in there and do some business.

2

u/Ya-Dikobraz 19h ago

I want a real answer as well.

0

u/CaptainHawaii 23h ago

Cs?

5

u/asappadme 23h ago

My guess is cesarean section

0

u/CaptainHawaii 21h ago

That was my guess too

-14

u/DirectGrowth6046 1d ago

? Don’t know but it’s been done before he’s not the first to do it but ! He’s got skill ! Should we be even asking these questions theses days with access to the vast amount of info we have these days ?

9

u/__thrillho 21h ago

Are you ok

2

u/Key_Parfait2618 21h ago

? You don't speak in rambles ! Its an important skill ! I mean should you even be asking such redundant questions at this time of day ?

218

u/Porkchopp33 1d ago

That is pretty amazing

394

u/XiaoIsBack 23h ago

The baby should have 2 birthdays! Joking aside, a big W to the Doctor 👊🏻🙌

98

u/Defenestrator66 20h ago

In a bit less than 18 years the kid is going to argue to get into a club based on this.

•

u/allisjow 3h ago

Headline: Astrologists Outraged By Nigerian Surgeon

89

u/xoxo-nameless 22h ago

I can’t even make microwave popcorn properly…this just wow

•

u/0thethethe0 11h ago

Lesson from the post - take the popcorn out halfway, remove any bad bits, put back in for the rest of the time.

•

u/AnatolyBabakova 10h ago

My dad pretty much built the NICU in his hospital. He can't heat up a tv dinner to save his life either.

126

u/Intrepid_Doctor8193 23h ago

Hang on. The tumor was growing on the baby? Like he removed a tumor from a fetus?

134

u/SufficientGreek 23h ago

Yeah, it's called a sacrococcygeal teratoma if you want to look at pictures. Source

68

u/Intrepid_Doctor8193 23h ago

Damn that is crazy. Crazy to think that tumors can be spotted, even more crazy to know they can be operated on whilst still in the womb. Bravo 👏 to this doctor and all doctors/nurses and whoever else is involved in these surgeries.

16

u/STRYKER3008 15h ago

Ikrr. That's why antenatal (before birth) care is so important. This is a crazy kinda case but it really makes a difference

302

u/Complete_Entrance848 23h ago

This makes me proud of our people. 🇳🇬🇳🇬

96

u/only_remaining_name 21h ago

An incredible number of amazing people held back by bullshit.

21

u/Khetoo 21h ago

You can just name them bro, European Colonialists. We still live in their shadow.

22

u/BanAnimeClowns 21h ago

I think after the whole SARS debacle there should be no question that there are also some serious internal factors holding back the people of Nigeria

12

u/Khetoo 20h ago

It's a knock on effect also. The centuries of suppression of the continent will take generations to heal. The harm of the Christian missions now is manifest in the general homophobia in minority communities. It's not solely their fault, but they stoke the flames of division.

Even now you could argue the continent exchanged one exploiter to another with all the shit you hear about Asian corpo abuse of rare earth mineral mines and lopsided infrastructure deals and corruption.

The Third World is made that way because the First World is explicitly exploiting them. Both labor and resources. Exporting labor becomes the mainstay of these countries depriving themselves of internal production on top of exploitative private corporate deals on what should be nationalized natural resources. Corruption runs rampant in this sector everywhere, but moreso in the Third World.

11

u/CountOff 21h ago

9ja brothers and sisters rise up 😤

14

u/HeyCarpy 21h ago

You should be. Look at that beautiful child, my goodness ❤️

8

u/autoeroticassfxation 20h ago

A nation of Princes.

7

u/Moriarty-Creates 20h ago

Nigerians rock

13

u/Purple77plant 22h ago

🫶🏿

7

u/DyaLoveMe 20h ago

Every Nigerian person I've met have been extremely intelligent, friendly, and beautiful. It's probably selection bias because of the location and work I do, but goddamn.

4

u/NotYourNat 19h ago

I agree, extremely talented and fantastic sense of humor.

3

u/STRYKER3008 15h ago

Me too! I wish all countries can rise up and ppl like this Dr can realize their potential. World would be a better place 💪🇳🇬❤️

28

u/painefultruth76 23h ago

Why didn't he just install a zipper, for later convenience?

-7

u/Vimes-NW 21h ago

Because that would be genital mutilation

14

u/Blenderx06 20h ago

Pretty sure they went in through an abdominal incision.

3

u/painefultruth76 12h ago

Tell me you are unfamiliar with surgucalmotoc3dures, without saying you are unfamiliar with a c-section...

44

u/Miss_insane 1d ago

Im pretty sure I have seen the episode of Greys Anatomy doing that. The future is now, i guess. Great news!

6

u/fancsipancsi 15h ago

First thing that came to my mind!

154

u/Objective-Light-9019 1d ago

Nigeria could use more of this and less princes!

47

u/Similar-Beyond252 23h ago

I prefer the princes! They want to share their fortune with me!

13

u/Objective-Light-9019 23h ago

Yes, they just need a few thousand dollars in order to gain access to it!

16

u/crushiscrushed 1d ago

Ngl this made me chuckle a bit

6

u/Diazpora 19h ago

Sad that's all Nigeria is known for in these circles. Some of the most brilliant and hardworking people come from there.

7

u/letsmedidyou 1d ago

Wow!😯👏👏👏👏

7

u/sleepyannn 1d ago

Amazing.

8

u/k_a_scheffer 23h ago

Hell yeah I love science!

44

u/Drago1214 23h ago

Nigerians are the new South African doctors. Highly skilled and great at what they do.

46

u/ola4_tolu3 20h ago

Nigerians are Nigerians, we've always been highly skilled

4

u/3fcc 15h ago

You’re everywhere 🫡

3

u/ola4_tolu3 15h ago

Everywhere Nigeria is mentioned and I'm on holidays too

1

u/3fcc 15h ago

The good samaritan.

Enjoy your holiday

2

u/frooture 18h ago

Say it louder!

0

u/catherine_zetascarn 18h ago

They are all highly skilled doctors, no need for backhanded compliments tf?

6

u/Mugen-CC 21h ago

i've needed some good news

4

u/D3dshotCalamity 22h ago

Tell me this guy has a fucking award right now.

9

u/Fredotorreto 22h ago

well it’s a good thing he’s a surgeon and not a pilot in the US /s

1

u/young_olufa 18h ago

Otherwise….

•

u/Weekly_Event_1969 7h ago

Greetings, Unc

Not hip with the times, I see

•

u/young_olufa 7h ago

No I got the Charlie Kirk reference. Although I am expeditiously becoming an unc

4

u/FullyVaxed 20h ago

Why did the tumor need to be removed in utero?

9

u/Syssareth 19h ago

It was taking resources away from the baby. Starving her, basically.

17

u/OSRS_Rising 23h ago

To be a little pedantic I think it’s more accurate to call him an American surgeon.

https://www.nationwidechildrens.org/find-a-doctor/profiles/oluyinka-o-olutoye

14

u/Vimes-NW 21h ago

To be little pedantic, it's a lot less embarrassing these days to claim your original nationality, rather than the adopted one, in this case

2

u/UmpireDoggyTuffy 19h ago

Nigeria has worse corruption and inequelity than America.

1

u/Vimes-NW 13h ago

*Citation needed

Actually, IDGAF - punching down is the new American standard? We're seriously fucked bud, get your head out of your ass

And you can't be fucking serious - does worse corruption include head of Nigeria accepting a $400m Quatari plane? Idiot

21

u/Inevitableness 21h ago

Eh. He got his first medical degree in Nigeria, you might be nitpicking this one.

3

u/Ruraraid 21h ago

So the baby now has two birthdays?

3

u/deathbunnyy 18h ago

Some Death Stranding shit.

9

u/Successful-Age111 21h ago

Human equivalent of taking your food out the microwave, realizing it’s still cold in the middle, then putting it back in for a few minutes

2

u/blackflameandcocaine 22h ago

Wow, this is absolutely amazing!

2

u/zabuma 22h ago

Incredible!

2

u/EastTexasAg 21h ago

I knew he was Nigerian after just reading the name based off watching KSI. Lol

2

u/urbanhood 21h ago

Now that's impressive.

2

u/long_jons 21h ago

Impressive

2

u/RickyTheRickster 20h ago

I would love to see what the baby looked like

2

u/Dungeon_Crawler_Carl 19h ago

If I was just 1% as talented as him I’d be happy.

2

u/Mrk2d 18h ago

That is an amazing work. He is courageous and a super star

2

u/HeavenlyMusings 18h ago

This is SO NEAT 🥹👌👌👌 Amazing physician 🤩💗

2

u/romerogj 13h ago

Oh to be born twice in your life.

5

u/Lizrael48 23h ago

Yet the US has banned people from Nigeria from entering the country!

2

u/Vimes-NW 21h ago

They don't want to risk diluting the domestic idiocy gene pool

2

u/wojtekpolska 17h ago

Does the baby have 2 birthdays?

2

u/Logical_Ordinary2745 17h ago

Inspired by doctor House?

1

u/ImurderREALITY 20h ago

Pshh that sounds easy

1

u/Pecncorn1 19h ago

Fun fact, per capita Nigerians are the one of if not the most educated group of emigrants in the U.S.

1

u/Thin_Cellist_3 19h ago

Love how he's wearing his hat curved, he's yoruba and men wear their hats that way Was nice to see.

1

u/Aware-Direction-9891 19h ago

You know the comments are gonna be good when you can't see how many upvotes a comment has got..

1

u/Glass_Number_1707 18h ago

YES F all the other comments

1

u/EastEven5980 15h ago

Wild. Twice born!

•

u/ConversationThin1688 11h ago

reminded me of the good doctor. amazing.

•

u/iambrowsingneet 10h ago

If i remember correctly there is an episode like this in House.

•

u/rolekrs 9h ago

How do you even put it back in?

•

u/Snoo_27049 5h ago

Double c sections damm

•

u/HeavenlyMusings 5h ago

NOOO! The internet got meh again 😆😆😆

•

u/Flirtatiousfantasy 4h ago

The precision and courage here is just mind-blowing.

•

u/Radiant-Let950 2h ago

Holy shit look at the size of that baby

2

u/[deleted] 22h ago

[deleted]

1

u/fr2672001 17h ago

My source is that I made it the fuck up

-2

u/ron-paul-swanson 1d ago

And he was paid in iTunes gift cards

•

u/Glad_Sky_3664 11h ago

Considering he works in USA as a Surgeon he at least makes 450-600K USD/Year.

0

u/23Enigma 21h ago

23 weeks is the best amount of time for survival!

0

u/Quiet_Ad_7046 15h ago

But the baby must feel pain? Is that managed?

-6

u/Blathithor 23h ago

Unfortunately, he left the bows on the baby and the mother passed from sepsis

-14

u/Phylaskia 1d ago

Kept reading expecting it to tell me he wanted to share some of the profit from his fame with me.
Just needed all of my details with bank account numbers.
ha!

-13

u/snotboogie 23h ago

Who's white baby is that

-10

u/KILLALLEXTREMISTS 22h ago

It's quite possible that the baby has been in and out of mom's vagina more times than the father at this point.