Newborn Girl Undergoes Successful Surgery in Lviv
A newborn girl named Evelina from the Ternopil region has been successfully treated at Saint Nicholas Hospital in Lviv. Born extremely premature at just 25 weeks and weighing a mere 750 grams, Evelina faced severe complications, including a major brain hemorrhage and the development of hydrocephalus. After a series of complex operations and 147 days in intensive care, she was finally well enough to be discharged home.
Evelina's birth was the result of a critical medical emergency. Her mother, Natalia, developed an infection and critical polyhydramnios at 20 weeks of pregnancy. At 25 weeks, her water broke, leading to placental abruption and uterine hemorrhage. To save the baby, doctors performed an emergency cesarean section three times faster than the standard procedure. Evelina's birth weight of 750 grams presented an immense challenge for the medical team. Such extreme prematurity requires highly specialized neonatal care, which is now available in several centers across Ukraine.
Delicate Neurosurgical Procedures
The first neurosurgical intervention occurred when Evelina still weighed about 750 grams. Surgeons implanted an Ommaya reservoir to drain excess fluid from her brain, allowing for regular punctures without damaging tissue. Taras Mykytyn, head of the neurosurgery department, noted:
'She is the smallest child I have ever operated on in my career. We first placed an Ommaya reservoir—a small silicone device implanted under the scalp.'
Doctors also performed retinal eye surgery and a neuroendoscopy guided by ultrasound, as the baby's anatomy was altered due to the earlier infection. 'We worked solely under ultrasound navigation to safely reach the brain's ventricles,' added Taras Mykytyn. Once Evelina's weight reached 2.5 kg, doctors installed a permanent shunt system.
Her total treatment lasted nine months, with 147 of those days spent in intensive care. By the time of her discharge, she had grown to 6.2 kg. Medical staff confirmed she has no seizures, breathes independently, feeds from a bottle, and responds to her parents. Her mother, Natalia, recalled, 'She was so tiny that I could fit my wedding ring around her arm. The first week was a complete shock.'
This successful outcome is a testament to the high skill of the medical staff and the advanced technologies available at Saint Nicholas Children's Hospital in Lviv.
Evelina's case underscores the vital importance of specialized medical care for newborns with severe pathologies and demonstrates the advanced capabilities of modern medicine in Ukraine. Her surgery and prolonged treatment mark a significant achievement for the hospital, highlighting the high level of doctor training and availability of modern equipment. Stories like this offer a powerful example of hope for many parents whose children are born prematurely or with serious medical conditions.
As Evelina continues her recovery, it's important to note the advancements in pediatric neurosurgery, particularly in Lviv, where surgeons have recently employed innovative techniques to treat craniosynostosis in infants. This groundbreaking approach is helping to improve outcomes for newborns facing similar challenges. For more details on this pioneering method, visit this article on innovative surgical techniques.