Lara baby Rylen McCarthy undergoes multiple major surgeries after large cyst found

A three-month-old Lara bub underwent two major surgeries in 24 hours after a large cyst was found growing on his bowel.

Lara bub Rylen McCarthy.

A Lara bub underwent two major surgeries in 24 hours after a large cyst was found in his abdomen.

Rylen McCarthy was a happy three-month-old baby but has since spent multiple weeks in hospital.

His dad, Mitchell McCarthy, said they took him to the emergency department in Geelong about three weeks ago and hospital staff believed he had a viral infection.

“We went back home but that night, he kept getting worse and worse,” Mr McCarthy said.

“He couldn’t keep milk down and he was screaming because he was in so much pain.”

Mr McCarthy and his wife, Paige, took Rylen back to the emergency department about 3am.

“Within 10 minutes of being there, he was taken to the resuscitation room and put on oxygen,” he said.

“It went from four doctors and nurses in the room to about 20.

“They put a catheter in and drained his bladder.

“They drained 260ml and a baby typically holds about 60ml so they were surprised his bladder didn’t burst.”

Rylen underwent two major surgeries in 24 hours.

Because Rylen’s bladder was so full, it was restricting oxygen from the lower part of his body.

His blood oxygen, which was typically 100 per cent, had significantly dropped to 28 per cent.

Rylen spent a few days at the Geelong hospital but he wasn’t improving and an ultrasound found a cyst growing on his bowel.

He was transferred to the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne, undergoing further testing and an MRI.

“(The cyst) was taking up a majority of his abdomen,” Mr McCarthy said.

“It was about 5cm to 7cm.”

An MRI scan of Rylen's cyst.

Doctors and surgical teams had multiple meetings on the best way to remove the cyst, Mr McCarthy said.

Rylen had his first surgery for the cyst to be removed on May 30, where a stoma bag was also put in place.

But within 24 hours, the stoma bag had prolapsed, meaning his bowel had begun to protrude through, and he was rushed back into surgery.

“Lucky we found it when we did because it was cutting off the oxygen to his bowel so he would have had a stoma bag for the rest of his life,” Mr McCarthy said.

Rylen is currently at the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne.

Rylen will undergo at least two more surgeries in the coming months; one to remove the cyst after further testing is completed and another to remove the stoma bag and connect his bowel back together.

“He is doing a lot better now because he is back on breast milk so he is loving that,” Mr McCarthy.

The family said the been “overwhelmed” in recent weeks but Rylen was slowing improving.

“Hopefully we can work out a plan for him to come home soon,” Mr McCarthy said.

Rylen’s parents have used all their sick and annual leave and have been travelling back and forth from Melbourne to be with him as well as caring for their three-year-old daughter Rivah.

A crowd-funding page has been established to help cover the cost of daily expenses and bills.

To find out more, gofundme/support-rylen-and-his-family.

Originally published as Lara baby Rylen McCarthy undergoes multiple major surgeries after large cyst found