"Born with Her Heart Outside Her Body"... British Girl Undergoes Reconstructive Surgery After 7 Years

Ectopia Cordis, Affecting Fewer Than 5 in 100,000 People
Leicester Medical Team in the UK Succeeds in Surgery After 7 Years of Preparation

A British girl who was born with her heart outside her body has successfully undergone chest reconstruction surgery.

A girl born with her heart outside her body successfully underwent chest reconstruction surgery after seven years of waiting. Leicester University Hospital, UK

On April 28 (local time), the BBC and other British media reported that Vanellope Hope Wilkins, age 7, underwent an innovative surgery at the Heart Center of Leicester Royal Infirmary on March 23, during which her own ribs were used to protect her heart, which was outside her body. The reports stated that she "made medical history." Experts also described Vanellope as a "one-of-a-kind case."

Vanellope was born in 2017 with ectopia cordis, a rare and unexplained condition in which the heart is located outside the rib cage and sternum, protruding from the body. More than 90% of newborns with ectopia cordis are either stillborn or do not survive beyond three days after birth. At the time, Vanellope’s chance of survival was less than 10%, but she overcame these extreme odds, spent 14 months in the hospital, and was able to return home safely. However, in her daily life, Vanellope always had to wear a protective brace for her heart and required one-on-one care around the clock, as her heart was covered only by a thin layer of skin.

When Vanellope turned seven, doctors determined that she had grown enough to undergo reconstructive surgery. Surgeons planned to use her ribs to create a protective structure for her heart inside her chest. Using an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) machine, which temporarily takes over the function of the heart and lungs, doctors carefully separated Vanellope’s heart and pulmonary artery from the skin layer. They then resected both sides of her ribs and moved the heart inside the chest so that the bones could protect it.

Although the major surgery took more than nine hours, the outcome was successful. Ikenna Omeje, a cardiac surgeon who has been caring for Vanellope since her birth, said, "Since Vanellope was born seven years ago, we have been waiting for the right opportunity to close her chest and protect her heart. It is immensely satisfying to know that we have changed someone’s life."

After the surgery, Vanellope was transferred to the pediatric intensive care unit. In a few weeks, she will be able to remove her protective chest brace, and if her prognosis remains good, she will not need further surgery. Vanellope’s mother said, "Seeing what my daughter has overcome and what she is achieving fills me with tremendous pride."