The understanding her newborn baby, Leah, would need serious surgery came as a bit of deja vu for her mom, Inga. Years before, her eldest had been born with aortic stenosis – a narrowing of the aorta that was restricting blood flow and required open heart surgery at just two weeks old.
Leah’s need was different – her tiny skull had fused early, a condition known as metopic synostosis, which, if left untreated, would have meant skull deformation and potentially vision, learning, and behavioral problems.
At first, their only option was an open surgery that would reshape the front of the skull, including the upper portion of the eye socket, to create space for the brain to grow – an invasive procedure that would take hours to perform and require an incision from ear to ear on tiny Leah’s head to remove a portion of her skull.
Thanks to leading-edge technology and the expertise of her neurosurgeon Dr. Jay Riva-Cambrin, Leah was able to benefit from a safer alternative called endoscopic metopic synostosis surgery. With just a small incision and a tiny camera, Dr. Riva-Cambrin was able to remove a strip of bone and relieve pressure on Leah’s tiny brain. The operation is less invasive, so there is less bleeding and a short hospital stay, allowing little Leah to get back home with mom where she belonged. It was the first surgery of its kind to be performed at the Alberta Children’s Hospital, and it was made possible by Radiothon donors who helped fund new endoscopes for the neurosurgical team.
Inga was told her baby would require a special helmet that would shape her head as she grew – something she would need to wear for as long as a year. In Leah’s case, she was able to lose the helmet after just six months, right before her first Christmas.
Leah is a year old now and thriving, mentally and physically. Experts at the Alberta Children’s Hospital continue to monitor her development, and her 14-year-old son, James, continues to be followed by the cardiology department. He too is thriving and plays in goal for the Airdrie Lightning hockey team. Mom is forever grateful for the knowledge and expertise of these dedicated caregivers at the Alberta Children’s Hospital who continue to look after her babies, and the family as a whole.
