Doctors found an unusual way to treat the infant's rare condition with super glue.They are crediting what they call "Surgical Superglue" for saving the life of this beautiful 3-week-old girl.
Ashlyn Julian was born with a rare and life-threatening condition. Her mother, Gina Julian, didn't know what the problem was but she knew something wasn't right. We go from a baby that was very quiet to a baby that was screaming all the time and throwing up, and at that point we knew something was very wrong.
After rushing her daughter to the emergency room for the second time Ashlyn's mother hoped doctors would find answers.
"The ultrasound was as far as we made it because they saw something in her head at that point in time, so they decided to transfer her to a hospital that was better equipped for what was going on," said Gina Julian.
Doctors at the University of Kansas hospital found a brain aneurysm the size of an almond on a blood vessel that is as thin as angel hair pasta. It was a race against the clock to stop the bleeding.
Bleeding in the brain is so rare in infants that there aren't even tools for the procedure. Her surgeon instead used a microcatheter as thin as a strand of hair to access the aneurysm.
"The only way I could close that aneurysm with that small of an instrument was with the glue," University of Kansas Dr. Koji Ebersole said.
Dr. Koji Ebersole was able to deposit sterile glue sealing the blood vessel.
"If you try to treat the baby without closing the aneurysm, meaning conservative treatment, support the baby, and hope that the baby will heal itself, most of those babies won't survive. So we had a strong reason to develop a plan to close the aneurysm. We're all very happy,"Dr. Koji Ebersole said.
Everyone is pleased with the results.
Her breathing tube was taken out and little Ashlyn has been making steady strides ever since.
