Doctors remove ‘baby inside a baby’ in rare surgery in Rahim Yar Khan

In a rare medical case, doctors at Sheikh Zayed Medical College and Hospital in Rahim Yar Khan have successfully removed an underdeveloped fetus from the chest of a five-year-old boy, in a condition known in medical science as ‘fetus in fetu’.

The child, Rehan, was brought to the hospital’s pulmonology department with complaints of persistent cough and breathing difficulties. During medical tests and scans, doctors discovered that a partially developed fetus was present inside his chest, extremely close to the heart and major blood vessels.

Given the critical nature of the case, Dr Sultan Mahmood, a senior thoracic surgeon at the hospital, led a highly delicate surgical procedure. The premature fetus was removed, though it was not alive. Dr Sultan said the operation was extremely complex, as the fetus was located dangerously close to the heart and major arteries, where even a minor error could have been fatal.

He explained that ‘fetus in fetu’ is a rare congenital condition in which one twin fails to develop properly and remains inside the body of the other. “Worldwide, this condition occurs in about one in every 500,000 births. Most cases are found in the abdomen, while its presence in the chest is extremely rare,” he added.

Rehan’s mother said they had consulted several doctors before, but none could diagnose the problem. She expressed gratitude to the medical team, saying her son’s condition had significantly improved after the surgery and that he was now recovering well.

Hospital spokesperson Dr Ilyas Rana said Rehan has been admitted to the thoracic ward and is being provided with advanced medical care. He termed the successful surgery a major achievement for the hospital and a testament to the expertise of its doctors and modern facilities. Although similar cases have occasionally been reported in major hospitals in Lahore and Karachi, medical experts say such a case in the chest region is exceptionally rare worldwide.