TEXAS CHILDREN'S FETAL CENTER
diagnosed
before birth,
congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation (CCAM)
Young Garrett, about to celebrate his first birthday, overcame life-threatening challenges even before his birth. At 22 weeks into his mother Jan's pregnancy with Garrett, the pair underwent a rare, delicate open-fetal operation at Texas Children's Fetal Center.
On Feb. 7, 2006,
Dr. Darrell Cass
and
Dr. Oluyinka Olutoye, rescued Garrett from a rare tumor, called a congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation – or CCAM – that was crowding his chest cavity.
The tumor was benign but growing so fast it was squeezing his internal organs, robbing his body of any opportunity to develop.
In short, Garrett was suffocating in his mother's womb.
"CCAMs are rare overall, but it is even rarer that they cause problems that occurred in Garrett's case," explained Cass. "There was a gigantic tumor that filled about two-thirds of his entire chest cavity. It was squishing his heart and preventing normal circulation. This tumor was killing Garrett, and if nothing was done, he would have certainly died."
But to get to the weakening Garrett and remove the growth, the Fetal Center's co-directors would have to put a healthy Jan at risk. With the clock ticking, Cass and Olutoye's procedure would be as dramatic as any 11th-hour rescue that Hollywood could concoct.
This operation became the hospital's first successful pre-birth CCAM removal, and Texas Children's Fetal Center is only the third center worldwide to have successfully performed this surgery.
After recovering at St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital from the fetal surgery, still-pregnant Jan stayed at Houston's Ronald McDonald House to remain close to the hospital and Dr. Karolina Adam, her maternal-fetal medicine specialist who monitored her closely until delivery. A total of 109 days would pass before Jan and Garrett finally went home.
"The birth on April 16 was a little premature, which is not unusual after fetal surgery. But Garrett was born healthy and is fulfilling every promise of catching up that he demonstrated at birth," Cass said.
Jan's advice for parents facing similar situations: "Mainly, just have faith," she said. "Listen to your doctors and trust in God that everything will be OK."
All is working out well for the family – young Garrett, older sister Carson and parents Jan and Russell.
"He's a big boy," says Jan. "He has brown hair and big blue eyes like his daddy. He is so happy. He giggles a lot, and he loves for people to talk to him."
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