Suze Lopez gave birth to baby Ryu after an almost full‑term abdominal pregnancy that developed hidden inside a 22‑pound ovarian cyst. Doctors at Cedars‑Sinai discovered the pregnancy only when Lopez underwent testing before a CT scan and delivered the 8‑pound (3.6 kg) baby on August 18 during surgery that also removed the cyst. Abdominal pregnancies are extremely rare and often life‑threatening, with fetal mortality up to 90% and birth defects in about 20% of survivors. Both mother and son recovered, and clinicians plan to publish the case.
‘The Best Gift Ever’: Baby Born After Almost Full‑Term Abdominal Pregnancy Hidden by 22‑Pound Cyst
This photo provided by the family shows Suze Lopez, and her son, Ryu, in California in October 2025. (Lopez family via AP)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Suze Lopez cradles her newborn son, marveling at the extraordinary way he came into the world: developing almost to term outside her uterus, concealed by a basketball‑sized ovarian cyst. Doctors treating the case at Cedars‑Sinai in Los Angeles say the situation is so rare and medically complex they plan to document it in a medical journal.
The Unexpected Discovery
Lopez, a 41‑year‑old nurse from Bakersfield, California, had been living with a large ovarian cyst that had been monitored for years. Earlier this year her abdomen began to enlarge and she assumed the cyst was growing. She experienced none of the typical pregnancy symptoms — no morning sickness and no perceived fetal movement — and her menstrual cycles are often irregular.
This photo provided by the family shows, from left, Kaila, Suze, Ryu and Andrew Lopez at Cedars-Sinai hospital in Los Angeles in August 2025. (Lopez family via AP)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
When abdominal pain and pressure intensified, Lopez scheduled surgery to remove the 22‑pound cyst. As hospital protocol required before a CT scan, she took a pregnancy test — which unexpectedly returned positive. Shortly afterward she presented to Cedars‑Sinai with dangerously high blood pressure and was stabilized. Ultrasound and MRI revealed an empty uterus and a nearly full‑term fetus inside an amniotic sac tucked in a pocket of her abdomen near the liver.
The Operation
On August 18, a multidisciplinary surgical team delivered the baby while Lopez was under general anesthesia and removed the large cyst during the same procedure. The newborn weighed about 8 pounds (3.6 kg). Lopez suffered massive blood loss during surgery and required transfusions; the team controlled the hemorrhage and both mother and baby ultimately recovered.
This photo provided by the family shows Ryu Lopez in California in October 2025. (Lopez family via AP)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
“It was really, really remarkable,” said Dr. John Ozimek, medical director of labor and delivery at Cedars‑Sinai.
How Rare And Dangerous Is This?
Pregnancies that implant outside the uterus are called ectopic pregnancies and most commonly occur in the fallopian tubes. Abdominal implantations are estimated at about 1 in 30,000 pregnancies, while those that progress to viability or term are extraordinarily rare — experts say occurrences that make it to delivery are far below 1 in a million.
Maternal and fetal risks are substantial: ectopic pregnancies typically rupture and cause hemorrhage if not detected, fetal mortality in abdominal pregnancies can reach 90%, and birth defects have been reported in roughly 20% of survivors. Because Lopez’s pregnancy appeared to be implanted on the pelvic sidewall rather than directly invading organs such as the liver, surgeons judged it more manageable — though still highly dangerous.
This photo provided by the family shows Ryu Lopez in California in November 2025. (Lopez family via AP)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Recovery And Family
Both Suze Lopez and baby Ryu recovered well after the operation. Ryu — named after a baseball player and the Street Fighter video game character — is reported to be healthy and thriving. His parents say he has bonded quickly with Lopez’s 18‑year‑old daughter, Kaila, and that he has completed their family just in time for his first Christmas.
“I do believe in miracles,” Lopez said, looking down at her son. “God gave us this gift — the best gift ever.” Physicians involved in the case plan to publish details so other clinicians can learn from this exceptionally rare outcome.
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
