Surgeons at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital successfully removed a massive facial growth larger than a newborn’s head from 20-week-old Mia Molyneux, saving the infant’s life during an extraordinary nine-hour operation that required 96 pints of blood products.
Her mother, 20-year-old Michaela from Widnes, Cheshire, had refused recommendations to terminate her pregnancy after late-stage diagnostic imaging revealed the severe facial anomaly, choosing instead to pursue specialized maternal-fetal and pediatric surgical care.
Diagnosis and Specialized EXIT Delivery Procedure
At 36 weeks of pregnancy, a specialized Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan confirmed that the unborn infant suffered from a severe venous-lymphatic malformation—a rare congenital vascular anomaly where abnormal connections in lymphatic and venous channels create large, fluid-filled cystic masses.
Because the massive growth on Mia’s face threatened to compress her upper airway during delivery, an 18-member multidisciplinary medical team at Liverpool Women’s Hospital executed a highly specialized delivery protocol:
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EXIT Procedure (Ex Utero Intrapartum Treatment): Surgeons performed a planned Cesarean section while maintaining placental blood flow, allowing doctors to safely insert a ventilator tube into Mia’s trachea before cutting the umbilical cord to secure her airway.
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Immediate Neonatal Transfer: Just three hours after birth, Mia was stabilized and transferred to the intensive care unit at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital for high-level monitoring.
Mia’s Clinical Timeline & Surgical Recovery:
- 36-Week MRI Scan ──► Diagnosis of extensive Venous-Lymphatic Malformation
- EXIT Delivery ──► Airway secured via ventilator before umbilical cord was cut
- Day 6 Surgery ──► 9-hour excision procedure requiring 96 pints of blood products
- 20 Weeks Post-Op ──► Full recovery and discharge home with family in Cheshire
High-Risk Excision and 96 Pints of Transfused Blood
Just six days after birth, lead pediatric surgeon Dr. Adam Donne performed a grueling nine-hour operation to excise the massive cyst, which weighed nearly half as much as the newborn herself.
Because vascular malformations consist of dense networks of abnormal, high-flow blood vessels, surgeons faced severe intraoperative hemorrhaging. Throughout the painstaking procedure, the surgical team administered 96 pints of blood and blood products to stabilize Mia’s blood pressure and organ perfusion as they worked to detach the growth from delicate facial nerves and tissues.
Recovery, Resilience, and Going Home
Following 15 days in intensive care before her mother could hold her for the first time, Mia made a remarkable physical recovery.
Now 20 weeks old, Mia is thriving at home in Widnes. While she will carry facial scars from the life-saving procedure, her mother describes her as a resilient, joyful baby whose story highlights the incredible dedication of the clinical teams at Liverpool Women’s Hospital and Alder Hey.