Presidency hails Nigerian doctor’s surgical feat on unborn baby in U.S.

The Federal Government has congratulated a United States (U.S)-based Nigerian surgeon, Dr. Oluyinka Olutoye, on his feat in carrying out a successful operation on an unborn baby with tumour in her mother’s womb.


Olutoye and his surgeon partner, Dr. Darrell Cass of Texas Children’s Hospital, carried out an operation on a foetus at 23 weeks.

The baby, Lynlee Hope, who suffered from a tumour known as Sacrococcygeal Teratoma, was removed from her mother’s womb, operated on and returned back.

She healed and continued to grow until she was born again at 36 weeks.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, stated this in a statement to felicitate with Olutoye on behalf of the President and people of Nigeria.

Olutoye is Co-Director of the Texas Children’s Fetal Center and fetal surgery team member, as well as a general paediatric surgeon in USA.

Olutoye received his medical degree from Obafemi Awolowo University in Ile-Ife, Nigeria, in 1988 and his PhD in anatomy from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA, in 1996.