ATLANTA, Jan. 9 (UPI) -- Doctors in Atlanta prepared to enclose the spinal column of an Iraqi infant born with severe spina bifida, who was rescued by U.S. soldiers in Baghdad.
Dr. Roger Hudgins, chief of neurosurgery, and plastic surgeon Fernando Burstein at the Children's Care hospital led the team performing the 3-hour surgery free of cost on the infant named Baby Noor.
Her visit to the Untied States was made possible with the help of U.S. soldiers who found her during a search of her home in Baghdad.
Spina bifida is a condition in which the vertebrae do not form completely around the spinal cord, reports CNN. Surgery usually is performed soon after birth. Noor is believed to be at least 3 months old.
Hudgins planned to arrange the spinal cord down the center of Noor's back and cover it with muscle and tissue. The child's spinal cord is now covered by a large lesion.
A second surgery for Baby Noor, nicknamed by soldiers of the Georgia Army National Guard's 48th Brigade, was tentatively set for Wednesday. The baby is expected to remain in the hospital two or three weeks.
