Michigan Teenager Reunites with Surgeon After Life-Saving Fetal Surgery
Mason Ellinger, an 18-year-old from Michigan, recently reunited with Dr. Hanmin Lee, the surgeon who performed a groundbreaking fetal surgery that saved his life. During Mason's mother's pregnancy, doctors discovered a congenital diaphragmatic hernia, a condition where a hole in the diaphragm allows organs to move into the chest cavity, hindering lung development. Initially, Michigan doctors offered little hope for Mason's survival. However, a UCSF trainee informed the family about a pioneering procedure at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital in San Francisco. Dr. Lee performed a fetoscopic endoluminal tracheal occlusion (FETO), inserting a balloon into the fetal trachea to promote lung growth, which was later removed, allowing Mason to survive and thrive. 
