Nigerian doctor Oluyinka Olutoye who removed tumour from unborn baby at 23 weeks and returned her to the womb

• Nigerian-born surgeon Dr. Oluyinka Olutoye became globally recognised after helping perform a rare fetal surgery in 2016 that involved temporarily removing an unborn baby, removing a life-threatening tumour and returning the baby to the womb.

• The baby, Lynlee Hope Boemer, was diagnosed with sacrococcygeal teratoma (SCT), a rare tumour near the tailbone that threatened her survival before doctors performed the surgery at 23 weeks of pregnancy.

• After the successful operation, Lynlee was delivered at about 36 weeks and later underwent another procedure to remove remaining tumour tissue. Her case became known worldwide as the story of the “baby born twice.”

• Beyond the landmark surgery, Dr. Olutoye has continued building his career in paediatric and fetal surgery, serving in leadership roles including Surgeon-in-Chief at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Ohio, while contributing to the advancement of complex children’s healthcare.

In 2016, a Nigerian-born surgeon became part of a medical story that sounded almost impossible: a baby was temporarily removed from her mother’s womb, operated on to remove a life-threatening tumour, and returned to continue growing before birth.

The doctor at the centre of that historic procedure was Dr. Oluyinka Olutoye, a paediatric and fetal surgeon whose work has placed him among leading specialists in the treatment of complex conditions affecting unborn babies and children.

The operation involved Lynlee Hope Boemer, a baby diagnosed before birth with a rare tumour that threatened her survival.

The procedure, performed at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston, United States, became widely known as the case of the “baby born twice.”

However, the surgery was only one chapter in Dr. Olutoye’s decades-long medical journey.

Dr. Oluyinka Olutoye began his medical journey in Nigeria, where he studied medicine at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, graduating in 1988.

He later moved to the United States, where he continued his training and developed expertise in paediatric surgery and fetal medicine.

According to a profile published by Pediatrics Nationwide, Olutoye’s interest in fetal surgery grew from his fascination with treating conditions before birth rather than waiting until after delivery.

His career eventually led him into one of the most specialised areas of medicine — fetal surgery, where doctors diagnose and sometimes treat life-threatening conditions affecting unborn babies.

During Margaret Boemer’s pregnancy in Texas, doctors discovered that her unborn daughter, Lynlee, had sacrococcygeal teratoma (SCT), a rare tumour that develops near the tailbone.

The tumour was growing rapidly and placing pressure on the baby’s heart because it required a significant blood supply. Doctors warned that without intervention, Lynlee’s condition could become fatal.

Margaret Boemer later explained that the family was faced with a difficult choice: allow the tumour to continue threatening the baby’s life or attempt a risky fetal surgery.

“It was a choice of allowing the tumour to take over her body or giving her a chance at life,” Margaret said in an interview about the procedure.

At 23 weeks and five days of pregnancy, doctors performed an open fetal surgery on Lynlee. The operation involved opening Margaret’s uterus, partially removing the baby, removing most of the tumour, and then placing Lynlee back inside the womb.

The surgery was led by a team including Dr. Oluyinka Olutoye and fetal surgeon Dr. Darrell Cass, alongside a large team of specialists at Texas Children’s Hospital.

The operation lasted about five hours. According to reports from the hospital and medical coverage of the case, the procedure was extremely delicate because doctors had to treat the tumour while protecting both the unborn baby and the pregnancy.

After removing most of the tumour, the team returned Lynlee to her mother’s womb so the pregnancy could continue.

Although the surgery was successful, the doctors knew the journey was not over. The pregnancy had to continue safely after such a complicated operation.

Reflecting on the procedure, Dr. Olutoye said: “And then the real work really starts.”

The medical team continued monitoring the pregnancy until Lynlee was ready for delivery.

On June 6, 2016, Lynlee was delivered by Caesarean section at about 36 weeks of pregnancy. She weighed 5 pounds and 5 ounces at birth.

Because doctors had already operated on her before birth, her story became known as that of a baby who had been “born twice.”

Dr. Olutoye described seeing Lynlee after birth as an emotional moment.

“Watching Lynlee come out crying and kicking … was really very exciting to see.”

After delivery, Lynlee underwent another operation to remove remaining tumour tissue. She later recovered and continued growing.

Following the surgery, Lynlee became a symbol of advances in fetal medicine. Updates from Texas Children’s Hospital showed that she continued to recover after her birth and additional treatment.

Her mother, Margaret Boemer, later shared updates about Lynlee’s progress and expressed gratitude for the medical team that helped save her daughter.

Nearly a decade after the procedure, Lynlee’s story remains one of the most recognised examples of successful fetal surgery.

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The “baby born twice” operation brought international attention to Dr. Olutoye, but his work continued beyond that moment.

Before and after the surgery, he built a career focused on advancing paediatric and fetal surgery.

At Texas Children’s Hospital, he served as a leader in paediatric surgery and was involved with the Texas Children’s Fetal Center, where specialists treat complex conditions diagnosed before birth.

In 2019, Dr. Olutoye became Surgeon-in-Chief at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, one of the largest paediatric hospitals in the United States.

Nationwide Children’s described him as a nationally recognised paediatric surgeon with expertise in fetal surgery, paediatric oncology surgery and complex surgical care.

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At Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Olutoye has continued working in paediatric surgery while supporting research, education and the training of future surgeons.

His work has focused on improving care for children with complex medical conditions and expanding surgical possibilities for patients who previously had limited treatment options.

Through his clinical work, research and mentorship, he has remained involved in advancing the field that made his name globally recognised.

Dr. Oluyinka Olutoye’s story is not only about a single extraordinary operation.The surgery that saved Lynlee Hope Boemer showed what was possible when medical  science, teamwork and expertise came together.

But his journey from Nigeria to becoming a leader in paediatric and fetal surgery represents a broader story– one of a doctor whose work continues to influence how physicians approach some of the most complex challenges in medicine.

The baby once known around the world as the child who was “born twice” became a reminder of what modern medicine can achieve.

And for Dr. Olutoye, that moment became one milestone in a career dedicated to giving children a better chance at life.