TAIF: A medical team at King Abdul Aziz Specialist Hospital in Taif was able Friday to remove a fetus that grew in the abdominal cavity of the mother away from the uterus. Abdominal pregnancy is a rare event, but is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. It occurs with an approximate frequency of one in 10,000 births. Medical sources at the hospital told Okaz/Saudi Gazette that it was rare that such a pregnancy could continue until the ninth month with the baby's growth complete and in good condition. This urged surgical intervention to remove the fetus to safeguard the mother's health and prevent her from developing serious complications. According to the sources, the pregnant woman came to the hospital with pain in her abdomen. After tests the fetus was discovered lying in a horizontal position in the abdomen in what is known as “transverse lie”, requiring an urgent Caesarian section. During the surgery, the fetus was found in the abdominal cavity with attachments between the placenta and the intestinal wall, as a result of the uterus turning from its normal position to the side. The sources added that during the growth of the fetus and the weakness of the tube's wall, the fetus came out gradually into the abdominal cavity and there was a full intertwining of blood vessels of the placenta and those of the intestines. The fetus grew to a weight of 2.3 kilograms. The sources said that the medical team was able to remove the placenta from the abdominal cavity after separating it from the blood vessels feeding the intestines. The team used four blood units during the nearly three-hour operation.
