Pregnant DeLand woman undergoes rare third-trimester robotic surgery at AdventHealth Fish Memorial

ORANGE CITY, Fla. — When severe pain and constant vomiting struck late in her pregnancy, Lysandra Sanchez feared something might be wrong with her baby.

At 32 weeks and five days pregnant, the 33-year-old DeLand resident went to AdventHealth Fish Memorial seeking answers. Doctors quickly discovered she had developed a serious gallbladder infection known as cholecystitis — a condition that can pose significant risks to both mother and child if not treated promptly.

With careful coordination between surgical and obstetric specialists, the team moved quickly so Sanchez could safely continue her pregnancy.

“It was terrifying,” Sanchez said. “I was really overwhelmed.”

During conversations with the care team, Sanchez relied on her husband, Malcolm, to help process the information as doctors explained her condition and treatment options.

“My husband was the one asking the doctors all the questions because I didn’t know what to think or do,” she said. “Hearing the information and seeing how confident the team was helped me start to feel safer.”

Dr. Huy Hoang, a general surgeon at AdventHealth Fish Memorial, determined Sanchez needed surgery to remove the inflamed gallbladder. While the procedure is sometimes performed during pregnancy, it is far less common this late in the third trimester.

“Many surgeons are understandably cautious about operating this late in pregnancy,” Hoang said. “But when gallbladder disease becomes severe, waiting can put both the mother and baby at risk for serious complications. Our goal was to treat the problem quickly so she could safely continue her pregnancy.”

If left untreated, the infection could have progressed to sepsis — a life-threatening condition for both Sanchez and her unborn baby.

Hoang said he performed similar procedures earlier in pregnancy, including at 25 and 27 weeks, but Sanchez’s case marked the latest stage of pregnancy he has operated on.

To provide the safest possible care, the team used a minimally invasive robotic procedure with the hospital’s da Vinci XI surgical platform. This technology allows surgeons to operate with remarkable precision in tight spaces – which is especially important later in pregnancy, when the growing baby leaves less room to work. This approach can help reduce the risk of complications and support a smoother recovery.

Just as important was minimizing the amount of time the unborn baby was exposed to anesthesia, helping protect both mother and child, Hoang said.

“Dr. Hoang was very confident about the surgery,” Sanchez said. “He explained how the robotic technology allows them to work with precision in a very small space, and that gave me a lot of reassurance.”

Recognizing how urgent Sanchez’s condition was, the surgical team quickly coordinated to perform the robotic procedure on a Saturday, when these types of surgeries are not typically scheduled. Operating room staff and robotic specialists mobilized to care for her without delay.

Throughout the experience, Sanchez said the support from the care team helped ease her concerns.

“Everyone made me feel comfortable,” she said. “Even when they were taking me back to surgery, they were making jokes and keeping things light. It helped me relax.”

Following the procedure, fetal monitoring confirmed the baby was doing well.

“When they told me the baby was doing well after the surgery, I could finally breathe,” Sanchez said. “That was the moment I felt real relief.”

Now recovering and looking ahead to welcoming their baby girl at AdventHealth Fish Memorial in late April, Sanchez and her husband say they are deeply grateful for the team who cared for her during such a frightening moment in her pregnancy.

“I don’t know what would have happened without them,” she said.