Via Christi OB-GYN team collaboration helps cesarean scar ectopic pregnancy succeed

When 39-year-old Alesia Smith learned she was expecting her fourth child three years ago, the Wichita mom’s happiness quickly turned to worry after her first doctor’s office visit resulted in a diagnosis of Cesarean scar ectopic pregnancy (CSEP).

She went to see a specialist in Kansas City who said her pregnancy wasn’t safe, because it was a high-risk pregnancy. CSEP happens when a fertilized egg develops in the scar tissue of a previous uterine surgery or C-section.

“I was terrified, they told me I could die on the way home and I had to decide then and there to terminate or try to keep my baby,” said Alesia, a school nurse and educator. “It was so concerning that the doctors set up an appointment for me to have a termination that day.” 

Alesia didn’t agree and left. She searched for help and answers online over the following three-day weekend, anxious to find a doctor who could help her.

Seeking trusted OB-GYN care at Via Christi

When she started calling for appointments, no one agreed or could help her until she spoke with staff at a local birth clinic, who referred her to Dr. Johnathan Scrafford, an OB-GYN at Via Christi in Wichita, Kansas. 

“Dr. Scrafford pulled up his chair and looked at me with such compassion and understanding,” she said. “He explained that he was willing to try, even though he hadn’t yet treated a patient with CSEP.”

Alesia and her husband, Aaron, made the decision to continue to receive care at Ascension Medical Group Via Christi OB-GYN. Their care team included Dr. Scrafford and Dr. Michael Wolfe, a maternal-fetal medicine specialist at Via Christi. Maternal-fetal medicine doctors specialize in the care of women during high-risk pregnancies.

Advanced maternal-fetal care close to home 

“It was the longest, shortest pregnancy I’ve had,” she said. “I lived in so much fear that the wrong thing could cause me to lose my life or my baby’s life.” 

Alesia was so scared that she didn’t take many photos or prepare for the baby until it was safer. She always wore a lanyard with Dr. Scrafford’s number, in case of emergency.

Trouble hit when her daughters came home with a stomach illness from daycare that would pass down to Alesia. Due to having vomiting symptoms, Alesia’s placenta ripped from her uterus and she went into labor at 31 weeks. Emergency care teams rushed her to Via Christi St. Joseph’s NewLife Center in Wichita, Kansas. 

“Thankfully, Dr. Scrafford had a care plan in place. He had a whole team ready. He had the blood bank, an anesthesiologist and gynecological oncologist on standby,” said Alesia. “I couldn’t ask for better people in the entire world to care for me.” 

On February 28, 2021, her son Manuel (Manny) was born weighing 4 pounds, 2 ounces. He was small and needed special care from the NewLife Center’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit for nearly two months to gain more weight and grow. 

Alesia had her own complications and required a three-hour surgery. She lost a lot of blood and had to have her uterus removed because of the complications. But she was happy Manny was healthy.

“The team took such great care of my husband and Manny, they cared for them like family,” said Alesia about the team, particularly nurse Brittany Drummond and nurse practitioner Becky Hopper. “They were there for my son but had such empathy for my husband, they cared for him too and emotionally we couldn’t have done it without them.”

Manny is now three 3 years old and doing well. 

“Before this, I was conditioned to trust experts and not ask questions. If it’s important to you, advocate for yourself and your baby, you have a right to information,” said Alesia in guidance to other moms. “See different doctors to give you information and the care you need. He was my baby when I was told he wasn’t viable and he’s my baby now. I’m so thankful I was connected with a provider who cared."

To learn more about OB-GYN care at Via Christi, go to ascension.org/viachristiobgyn