Wilford Hall doctors perform lifesaving procedure on newborn

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Josie Kemp
  • 59th Medical Wing Public Affairs
LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFNS) --  A medical team at Wilford Hall Medical Center here recently performed a lifesaving procedure on a newborn infant that is unique to Air Force medicine.

Alexander Gardner, son of Natascha Gardner and Army Staff Sgt. Christopher Gardner of the 23rd Armored Calvary Regiment at Fort Hood, Texas, was born Feb. 27 with a large tumor growing on his neck under his chin. 

Doctors at Fort Hood, Texas, found the tumor just days before the delivery and transported the family to Wilford Hall for treatment. This large tumor was blocking the baby's airway causing the amniotic fluid to increase dramatically and causing preterm labor and urgent evaluation.

"With compression on the airway, the baby would have survived only for a short time, likely minutes, after birth without treatment," said Maj. (Dr.) Barton Staat, a maternal-fetal medicine specialist in the 59th Maternal Child Care Squadron, who was a member of the medical team.

To prevent a life-threatening situation, a multispecialty care conference was held to discuss and coordinate the treatment. The medical staff performed an ex-utero intrapartum treatment, or EXIT procedure, during the baby's birth.

During the EXIT procedure, the mother was placed under deep general anesthesia by Maj. (Dr.) Christopher Nagy of the 59th Surgical Operations Squadron, which allowed the uterus to relax and the obstetrician to deliver the baby partially by Caesarean section.

Only the infant's head and neck were delivered while the remainder of the infant was left inside the uterus. Once the head and neck were delivered, Lt. Col. (Dr.) Mark Boston, a pediatric otolaryngology specialist in the 59th Surgical Specialties Squadron, intubated the infant while the baby was receiving blood flow and oxygen through the placenta.

Thirty-five minutes after the head was delivered and his airway was secured, the remainder of the infant was delivered and the umbilical cord was clamped and cut. The infant was then cared for in the Wilford Hall Neonatal Intensive Care Unit by Lt. Col. (Dr.) Jay Kerecman of the 59th Maternal Child Care Squadron.

After the birth, the tumor was removed by Colonel Boston and Alexander is now recovering in the Wilford Hall Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

The EXIT is a relatively new procedure, typically performed only for rare structural problems in a baby, when providing a treatment during the first few minutes of life is critical.

"To the best of my knowledge, this is the first time this procedure has been done at Wilford Hall, and only performed at a few larger civilian hospitals," Major Staat said. "We are probably the only Air Force hospital capable of carrying out this procedure due to the multispecialty requirements involved. It requires an experienced maternal-fetal medicine specialist, anesthesiologist, neonatologist and pediatric surgery specialist all working together. This success highlights the excellent care we provide to our mothers and babies here." 

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