Mom’s Womb Temporarily Removed During Pregnancy to Treat Cancer

At her 12-week ultrasound, Lucy Isaac expected to hear the comforting rhythm of her baby’s heartbeat. Instead, the room suddenly grew quiet. While her baby was just fine, the sonographer had spotted something unusual on Lucy’s ovary and quickly referred her to a specialist.

Soon after, Lucy was shocked to learn she had ovarian cancer. Doctors at Oxford University Hospitals warned that delaying treatment until after birth would increase the risk of metastasis—meaning the cancer could spread to other parts of her body and pose a serious threat to her life. But with her baby developing normally, the medical team faced a daunting challenge: how to remove tumors located behind her womb without jeopardizing her pregnancy.

The answer: a rare open surgery performed only a handful of times worldwide, in which Lucy’s womb—still containing her baby—was temporarily lifted from her abdomen so doctors could access and remove the cancerous cells from both ovaries. At 20 weeks pregnant, a team of 15 specialists carried out the five-hour procedure. Two doctors held her womb outside her body for two hours, carefully monitoring both Lucy and her baby’s heart rate and temperature. A tumor sample taken during surgery confirmed stage two cancer, meaning it had already spread beyond the ovaries—making the operation even more urgent than initially believed.

Once the tumors were removed, her womb was returned to her body. Just three months later, her baby boy was born healthy, weighing 6 lbs. 5 oz. “When baby Rafferty visited us at two weeks after being born, it was an immensely emotional moment for me and the team,” Lucy’s doctor, Hooman Soleymani Majd, said in a hospital statement. “This achievement not only highlights the advancements in medical science but also reinforces our commitment to providing innovative and life-saving procedures. I am grateful for the trust placed in us, and proud of the collaborative effort that made this possible.”

For Lucy—who is now preparing for her final round of cancer treatment—and her husband Adam, Rafferty’s safe arrival meant everything. “To finally hold Rafferty in our arms after everything we have been through was the most amazing moment," Adam said. “The care Lucy received at OUH has been incredible. I am grateful to everyone involved for saving my wife and baby.”