Doctors Save Newborn With Rare Abdominal Wall Defect in Poriya
Surgeons at Northern Medical Center Poriya saved a newborn with a rare severe case of gastroschisis, where his entire intestines developed outside the abdomen, following three complex surgeries.
Surgeons at the Northern Medical Center in Poriya have successfully performed complex life-saving operations on a newborn infant born with gastroschisis, an extremely rare congenital defect in which the entire small and large intestines developed outside the abdominal cavity. The infant, named Imri Gabriel, underwent three intricate surgeries within his first two weeks of life before achieving full anatomical recovery.
The condition was first suspected during the 13th week of the pregnancy of Romi and Shalev, a young couple from Tiberias. At 16 weeks, Dr. Ayelet Tzur, director of the gynecological ultrasound unit at the medical center, diagnosed the rare defect. While gastroschisis typically affects only a portion of the intestines and occurs in roughly one of every 5,000 to 6,000 births worldwide—with 25 to 35 cases annually in Israel—Imri's case involved the entirety of both his small and large intestines. Despite the complex prognosis, the parents decided to proceed with the pregnancy under close medical monitoring, which included routine ultrasound evaluations.
Emergency Delivery and Multi-Stage Surgery
Although delivery was initially scheduled for the 38th week, an ultrasound at week 35 revealed severe edema in the fetus's intestines, signaling a potential bowel obstruction. Dr. Tzur immediately ordered an emergency Caesarean section. Imri was born weighing 2.1 kilograms while suffering from respiratory distress, and was promptly transferred to the neonatal intensive care unit.
Dr. Igor Shaikis, director of the pediatric surgery unit, explained the extraordinary challenges posed by the infant's condition:
"Due to the massive volume of the intestine, its condition, and the small size of the abdominal cavity, it was impossible to return the intestines inside immediately."
After two prior surgical attempts over a fortnight that involved gradual repositioning efforts while the infant remained sedated and ventilated, medical teams successfully completed the third procedure on Imri's 14th day of life, achieving complete anatomical closure without complications.
Following the operations, Imri gradually recovered, was weaned off mechanical ventilation and intravenous nutrition, and began eating independently. After approximately two months of continuous hospitalization, he was discharged to his family weighing 3.08 kilograms. Following his full recovery and homecoming, his parents celebrated his traditional circumcision ceremony, officially bestowing upon him the name Imri Gabriel.
