In a shocking and extremely rare medical incident from the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, doctors discovered that a 35-year-old woman named Sarvesh was carrying a three-month-old fetus—not in her uterus, but inside her liver.
This unusual case has drawn the attention of medical professionals across India, as such conditions are almost unheard of. Normally, pregnancy develops inside the uterus, but in this case the fetus implanted and grew in the liver, a phenomenon known as intrahepatic ectopic pregnancy.
Sarvesh, who had been suffering from severe nausea, fatigue, and abdominal pain, initially thought she was dealing with a stomach infection. Despite undergoing multiple ultrasounds, nothing unusual was detected at first. She was prescribed medications for stomach infection, but her symptoms continued to worsen.
It was only after another ultrasound, followed by an MRI, that doctors were shocked to find a fetus developing in her liver. According to radiologist Dr. K.K. Gupta, who has over 20 years of experience, this was the first such case he had ever encountered.
Sarvesh herself found the diagnosis hard to believe, especially since she was still experiencing menstrual cycles during this period.
Doctors explained that as the fetus grew, there was a serious risk of the liver rupturing, which could prove fatal for the mother. Surgery, they said, was the only option.
Initially, no hospital in Bulandshahr was ready to take on the case due to the high risks involved. Even in Meerut, most doctors advised the couple to seek treatment in Delhi. However, financial constraints made it impossible for them to pursue treatment in the capital.
Eventually, a private hospital in Meerut agreed to operate. Under the supervision of senior surgeon Dr. Sunil Kanwal, a medical team that included Dr. Parul Dahiya and Dr. Gupta performed the surgery. The operation lasted around 90 minutes and was described as highly complex.
Doctors later confirmed that the fetus was around 12 weeks old, with a visible heartbeat, located on the right side of the liver. Speaking to Daily Mirror News, Dr. K.K. Gupta even shared the surgery video and rare images of the fetus to highlight the uniqueness of the case.
What is Intrahepatic Ectopic Pregnancy?
In normal pregnancies, the fertilized egg travels through the fallopian tube and implants in the uterus. In ectopic pregnancies, however, the fertilized egg attaches elsewhere—often in the fallopian tube, but in extremely rare cases, in other organs such as the liver.
According to Dr. Mamta from Banaras Hindu University, the liver provides rich blood supply, which can temporarily support the early growth of a fetus. However, this condition soon becomes life-threatening for both mother and child, leaving surgery as the only possible treatment.
Professor Dr. Monica Anant from AIIMS Patna explained that globally, intrahepatic ectopic pregnancies occur in approximately one out of seven to eight million pregnancies. To date, only about 45 such cases have been reported worldwide, three of them in India.
The first case in India was recorded in 2012 at Delhi’s Lady Hardinge Medical College, while the most recent one before Sarvesh’s occurred in 2023 at AIIMS Patna under Dr. Monica’s supervision.
Doctors involved in Sarvesh’s case have confirmed that they are documenting this rare medical occurrence and plan to publish their findings in a medical journal soon.
