A woman scheduled for surgery to remove a large ovarian tumor was surprised to find out she was pregnant just before the operation. Suze Lopez, aged 41, was set to undergo a procedure for a 10kg cyst on her ovary when doctors, as part of the protocol, conducted a pregnancy test. To their amazement, they discovered that she was indeed pregnant, despite her uterus being empty.

Three days later, while at a Los Angeles Dodgers baseball game, Suze informed her husband about the unexpected news. However, her health suddenly deteriorated, experiencing abdominal pain, leading to an emergency hospital visit where she was diagnosed with an abdominal ectopic pregnancy.

Speaking from the hospital in California, the 41-year-old expressed her disbelief at the situation, stating, “After 17 years of hoping for a second child, I never imagined I would actually be pregnant, given my irregular periods and occasional abdominal discomfort.”

Dr. John Ozimek, the medical director of labor and delivery at Cedars–Sinai, explained the unique case: “Suze was pregnant, but with her uterus empty due to a massive benign ovarian cyst weighing over 20 pounds occupying the space. Remarkably, we discovered a nearly full-term baby boy located in a small abdominal space near the liver, with his buttocks against the uterus, a highly uncommon scenario of an extra-uterine pregnancy progressing to this extent.”

The unborn baby had been growing behind the tumor, displacing it and causing it to appear larger. A team of approximately 30 specialists conducted a meticulously coordinated and intricate delivery to safely bring the baby into the world.

Following the baby’s delivery, Suze experienced severe hemorrhaging. Dr. Michael Sanchez, an anesthesiologist, described the intense situation, mentioning the use of 11 units of blood to stabilize her condition rapidly.

Suze successfully gave birth to a baby boy named Ryu, who miraculously survived the ordeal. Dr. Sara Dayanim, a neonatologist at the hospital, shared that Ryu quickly met all developmental milestones, defying the expectations given the circumstances.

An abdominal ectopic pregnancy occurs when the fertilized egg implants outside the uterus, posing significant risks as the placenta cannot properly develop in that location. The hospital in California emphasized the rarity of babies surviving this type of pregnancy, often facing severe medical challenges.