Historic Surgery: Nigerian Surgeon Leads Team to Save Girl Born With Heart Outside Her Chest
In a groundbreaking medical achievement, a team of specialists led by Nigerian Consultant Congenital Cardiac Surgeon, Dr. Ikenna Omeje, has successfully performed life-saving surgery on Vanellope Hope Wilkins, a 7-year-old girl born with ectopia cordis, a rare condition where the heart grows outside the chest.
Vanellope was diagnosed in the womb and delivered via Caesarean section at Glenfield Hospital in November 2017. Since birth, she has undergone intense monitoring and care, with her case being one of the rarest globally, affecting only 8 in 1 million births, with most not surviving past three days.
On April 16, 2025, a multinational team of 20 experts from the East Midlands Congenital Heart Centre and Leicester Children’s Hospital, supported by Great Ormond Street Hospital, successfully carried out a pioneering reconstructive surgery to give Vanellope a fully protected, reconstructed chest. She was placed on an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) machine to allow for the delicate detachment of her exposed heart and a complex reshaping of her rib cage.
“Vanellope’s case is unique and very rare. It has been a long journey, but the sense of satisfaction you get knowing you’ve been successful is very special,” said Dr. Omeje.
Her mother, Naomi, expressed deep gratitude: “What they have done is truly amazing. Vanellope inspires me every day. She is strong and brave, and I am so proud of her.”
This surgery not only marks a triumph of global collaboration in pediatric medicine but also serves as a beacon of hope for families affected by rare congenital conditions.
