Everyone was convinced of the imminent death of the baby, so they didn't even wash it after birth. The nurses did not weigh him and pump the liquid out of his throat. The parents did not buy any means and supplies for caring for the baby, except for the overalls in which they were going to bury him. But Bentley Yoders continued to scream and still did not give up.
Much of the brain has grown outside of the baby's skull. In such cases, doctors usually simply cut off excess tissue, but there was so much brain outside Bentley's head that removing it could immediately kill the baby.
The chief surgeon of the hospital where Bentley was born had never encountered such cases before. None of the textbooks provided suitable guidelines either. However, it was impossible to hesitate - the skin, which was covered with a brain growth on the child's head, stretched more and more every day - the pressure of the fluid inside increased, and the brain tissues themselves also grew. If the skin burst, Bentley would quickly die from the infection.
However, the operation was fraught with enormous risks. The “extra” brain was too big to be pushed back into the skull. None of the doctors could vouch for the results of the surgery.
In search of qualified help, Bentley's parents came to Boston Children's Hospital. Recently, a $ 12 million Surgical Modeling Center was equipped here. With the help of high-tech equipment of the Center, surgeons can work out the details of operations before interfering with the body of a living person.
However, even with the Center's capabilities, the forthcoming operation was incredibly daring. But the Yoders family had no choice - there was only one path that left hope.
Promotional video:
Dr. John Meara of Boston Children's Hospital has confirmed that Bentley's case is not hopeless. Meara developed a detailed plan of the operation, during which the child's skull had to be cut in several places and in a special way "pushed" so that there was more space inside.
To close the encephalocele (the hole in the skull through which Bentley's brain "sprouted" out), the doctor decided to take bone fragments from other areas of the child's head.
To find out how realistic the plan was, Meara 3D printed an accurate model of Bentley's skull. Neurosurgeon Mark Proctor, who was involved in saving the child, later said that the operation could be performed without 3D modeling, however, with the plastic model, they had a much better idea of what they would face in the operating room. Without high-tech training, the entire work would have taken at least 14 hours. Using 3D modeling, it took doctors only 4-5 hours.
Bentley was successfully operated on May 24. However, later on, additional procedures were required to install a shunt and pump fluid from the brain.
“We have always been a strong couple, but never before have we had such a difficult time as during the fight for Bentley,” says Sierra, mother of the rescued baby.
So far, no one can say whether the child's brain will function properly. Most children with encephalocele have developmental delays. At the moment, it is known that the part of the brain located outside of Bentley's head was associated with vision. While there are signs that a child can see, it is not yet clear how well their vision is working.
“While no one can say how Bentley will develop - he is too different from the rest of the children. However, even what we have at the moment is a blessing, so every day of his life is a gift for us,”says Sierra.
Dustin, Bentley's father, is confident that he has found peace in his soul.
“Now I'm not afraid of anything,” he says.