The Federal Government of Nigeria has congratulated a US- based Nigerian Surgeon, Dr Oluyinka Olutoye on his recent feat in carrying out a successful operation on an unborn baby with tumour in her mother’s womb.
Dr Olutoye and his surgeon partner Dr. Darrell Cass of Texas Children’s Hospital, carried out an operation on a foetus at 23
weeks in US.
The baby, Lynlee Hope, who suffered from a tumour known as
Sacrococcygeal Teratoma was removed from her mother’s womb, operated
on and returned back. She healed and continued to grow until she was
born again at 36 weeks.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs
and Diaspora, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, conveyed the message in a
statement to felicitate with Dr Olutoye on behalf of the President and
people of Nigeria.
The statement stated that President Muhammadu Buhari received the
news of Dr Olutoye’s unique feat with excitement and fulfillment and
looking forward to meeting with him soonest.
Dabiri-Erewa said that it is important to celebrate Dr Olutoye for the wonderful feat he performed in saving lives and projecting a good image for Nigeria.
She commended Nigerians in the Diaspora for their positive roles in enhancing the image of the country, stating that Nigerians in the Diaspora are a huge potential, playing greater role in all sectors, assuring that her office was working on having a database for all the Nigeria achievers.
“Nigerians are great people, making greater positive impacts in all fields of human endeavour in the Diaspora. Dr Olutoye’s feat is
one of such testimonies”, the statement added.
To complement that, Dabiri-Erewa said that Nigeria is working on a
National Diaspora Policy guideline geared towards regulating all
engagements with all Nigerians in the Diaspora.
According to her, Nigerians in the Diaspora are of high importance
to the growth and development of the country and appealed to other Nigerians in the Diaspora to emulate the positive image Dr. Olutoye has given to Nigeria which earned him recognition.
Dabiri-Erewa reiterated the determination of President Muhammadu
Buhari ” to enhance the welfare of all Nigerians at home and in the
diaspora, and unadulterated determination to continue to tackle
insecurity, corruption and the economy.”
Dr. Olutoye is Co-Director of the Texas Children’s Fetal Center
and fetal surgery team member, as well as a general pediatric surgeon
in USA.
He received his medical degree from Obafemi Awolowo University in Ile-Ife, Nigeria, in 1988 and his PhD in anatomy from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA, in 1996.
He completed his residency in general surgery at the Medical College of Virginia Hospitals, Virginia Commonwealth University, and
his fellowship in pediatric surgery at The Children’s Hospital of
Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in
Philadelphia, Pa.
Dr. Olutoye is a member of the International Fetal Medicine and
Surgery Society and is a Fellow of the Surgical Section of the
American Academy of Pediatrics and American College of Surgeons; he is
also a Fellow of the West African College of Surgeons.
He has specialized clinical expertise in fetal and neonatal surgery, with specific interest in congenital diaphragmatic hernia and complex wounds.
His research interests include understanding the role of the fetal
inflammatory response in scarless fetal wound healing, development of
animal models of congenital anomalies, in utero correction of severe
congenital malformations, and the study of endothelial-leukocyte and
endothelial-tumor cell interactions with a goal to better understand
the mechanisms of tumor metastasis.
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