25/05/2026
The youngest baby in the UK to survive open heart surgery is 3 years old. little Fleur reunited with the surgeon who saved her life, Consultant Congenital Cardiac Surgeon, Dr Ikenna Omeje.
Fleur was born six weeks premature alongside her twin sister and weighed just 1.8kg at only 28 days old when doctors discovered she had a rare heart defect with less than a 20% chance of survival.
Dr Ikenna Omeje and his team at Leicester Royal Infirmary performed a complex nine-hour surgery, even modifying equipment because she was so tiny. After weeks on life support, Fleur survived and is now approaching her third birthday alongside her twin sister.
During the emotional reunion, Fleur’s mother told Dr Omeje: “You gave Fleur a life, and Ottilie has a sister because of you.”
Originally from Nsukka in Enugu State, Nigeria,
Dr. Ikenna Omeje completed his fundamental medical training at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN). He moved to the UK in the 2000s to begin his advanced postgraduate surgical training. He spent over a decade undergoing rigorous cardiothoracic and paediatric surgical training across major UK health institutions, earning his Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons (FRCS) qualification.
