By Ghazali Ibrahim 
In a historic medical achievement, a team of international experts led by Nigerian Consultant Congenital Cardiac Surgeon, Dr. Ikenna Omeje, has successfully performed life-saving surgery on a seven-year-old British girl, Vanellope Hope Wilkins, who was born with her heart outside her chest.
Vanellope, who was diagnosed with ectopia cordis, a rare and life-threatening congenital condition in which the heart is abnormally located outside the ribcage defied all odds after undergoing a highly complex and delicate procedure on April 16, 2025.
The surgery, which has been years in the making, took place at the East Midlands Congenital Heart Centre and Leicester Children’s Hospital, with a team of about 20 specialists including anaesthetists, surgeons, perfusionists, operating department practitioners, and nurses.
The team was supported by top surgeons such as Consultant Paediatric Surgeon Nitin Patwardhan and Cardiothoracic Surgeon Nagarajan Muthialu from Great Ormond Street Hospital.
According to the Harborough Mail, Vanellope was delivered via Caesarean section at Glenfield Hospital in 2017 and has been under close medical monitoring ever since.
Despite the grim prognosis typically associated with ectopia cordis which affects only 8 out of every 1 million babies and often results in stillbirth or death within days, Vanellope remained a fighter.
During the groundbreaking procedure, the surgeons placed Vanellope on an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) machine, a device that temporarily replaces heart and lung function allowing them to perform a bilateral osteotomy of the ribs.
The ribs were stretched and rejoined at the front to construct a solid, protective chest wall for her heart.
Dr. Omeje, who was present at Vanellope’s birth, described the experience as “truly special.”
“Vanellope’s case is completely unique and very rare, so we brought our expertise together and combined several different techniques to perform this surgery,” he said.
“We have been waiting for the right opportunity to close the chest and give her heart protection. It’s been a long journey, but the satisfaction from knowing we’ve been successful is indescribable. I’m just happy to help.”
Vanellope’s mother, Naomi, spoke emotionally after the surgery.
“It’s the fear of the unknown that is the hardest part. Saying goodbye before the operation was very hard, but when I saw the consultants walking towards me afterward, I knew from their faces that it had gone well. I instantly felt a huge sense of relief.”
She added, “What they have done is truly amazing. I can already see what a difference this operation has made. Vanellope inspires me every day. She is strong and brave, and I am so proud of her.”
