The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) is gearing up to perform yet another pathbreaking surgery. Doctors are getting ready to perform corrective surgery on a baby born with his inner abdominal structures exposed. The rare multiple-stage surgery will be performed on a 15-day-old baby, born with his urinary, intestinal and genital organs protruding from his abdomen. The baby was born on November 12 at Safdarjung Hospital to a couple hailing from Mehrauli. It was then was referred to AIIMS. Doctors say the baby is suffering from a rare congenital disorder called cloacal exstrophy.

The disorder occurs in one in every 2.5 lakh births. Though its exact cause is not known yet, doctors say it occurs during the prenatal development of the lower abdominal wall structures.

Dr D K Gupta, head of Paediatrics confirmed the baby was brought to AIIMS on November 13. “It is a rare case but, we’ve handled difficult cases successfully in the past,” he said. The date of the first surgery has not been fixed yet.