Baby girl has 3D printed heart at University Hospital Southampton

Pippa Fulton was born on August 6 last year and weighed just 2kg when she arrived at University Hospital Southampton.

She had to undergo undergo delicate lifesaving heart surgery and has now gone home for the first time after spending the first six months of her life in hospital after suregons created a 3D printed copy of her heart.

She was diagnosed with life threatening problems in her intestines as well as a complex malformation of her heart and main blood vessels, known medically as a transposition of the great arteries (TGA).

Her case was made more complicated due to a rare anomaly of the heart’s collecting chambers, as well as a duplicate of the main vein inside Pippa’s upper body.

Pippa was then found to have an additional heart defect called total anomalous pulmonary vein drainage - this combination of heart problems has only been seen a handful of times worldwide.

At just one-day-old, Pippa underwent her first complex heart surgery.

The surgery was unsuccessful as more tests were required and Pippa – and her heart - to grow bigger and stronger.

In the months that followed Pippa received intense medical treatment and spent time on the paediatric intensive care unit, high dependency unit and E1 ward at Southampton Children’s Hospital, based at University Hospital Southampton.

Mum Lizzie Fulton, 30, has been by her daughter’s side and has not spent a single night away from her.

She said: “It’s been a very long six months.

"Pippa has had lots of complications during her stay, from pneumonia to a collapsed lung – but she’s fought through and been unbelievably brave, and we can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.”

Once she reached a weight of 5.5kg, discussions about attempting to repair Pippa’s heart began again.

Mr Viola, lead congenital cardiac surgeon and Dr Trevor Richens, lead interventional paediatric cardiologist at Southampton Children’s Hospital led the team.

They were able to 3D print a model of Pippa's heart using a CT scan that showed the construction of her heart chambers.

Not only did the model highlight a further problem they hadn’t been aware of, but allowed the surgical team to rehearse the complex surgery beforehand.

Last month, on January 27, Pippa spent more than seven hours in surgery and the structure and function of Pippa’s heart was successfully repaired.

Pippa’s dad, Nathan Fulton, 34, said: “Seeing our baby girl taken down for surgery was one of the longest and hardest days of our lives.

"There was this real mix of emotions, from the fear of someone so precious and tiny undergoing open-heart surgery to complete relief that the operation we had been waiting six long months for was finally happening.”

Pippa left UHS at the weekend and is now home in Whiteley with her mum and dad and their beloved dog, Peanut.

She will require oxygen treatment at home while her lungs continue to get stronger and will be monitored by the team at Southampton Children’s Hospital until she reaches adulthood.

Mum Lizzie, a teacher, added: “It was unbelievably emotional.

"We had many conversations over the months about Pippa not making it this far with lots of unknown days, so to finally know that she now had a chance of survival and to now have brought her home at long last is incredible – we can be a family together at last.”

Pippa was discharged from hospital on Saturday and has now had her very first cuddles with her doting grandparents.

Lizzie added: “Nathan and I would like to thank everyone, from the bottom of our hearts, who has cared for Pippa.

"We are so grateful to Mr Viola and Dr Richens and to all of the nurses, health care workers and the staff at Ronald McDonald House. We owe them everything."