UK baby gets first fetal surgery for gastroschisis

A baby boy from the United Kingdom has become the first in the country to undergo a pioneering fetal surgery to correct a severe birth defect while still in the womb, marking a significant milestone in prenatal medicine. Theo, now five months old, was diagnosed during pregnancy with complex gastroschisis, a condition where the abdominal wall fails to close, leaving the intestines to develop outside the body.

The groundbreaking procedure was performed as part of a first-of-its-kind international clinical trial. Theo’s mother, Maisie Savage, 29, traveled from London to Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston for the operation when she was 26 weeks pregnant. Surgeons, led by Dr. Michael Belfort, partially exposed her womb and used minimally invasive keyhole techniques to gently return Theo’s organs to his abdomen and stitch the opening closed. The surgery was conducted in November 2025.

Prior to the main operation, Savage received a preparatory Botox injection at a hospital in Leuven, Belgium, to relax the muscles in Theo’s abdominal wall. The surgical technique is similar to procedures developed for spina bifida. Following a recovery, Savage carried Theo to term and gave birth...