Fetal surgery
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Open fetal surgery is an invasive form of fetal intervention in the treatment of birth defects where the uterus is opened up for direct surgery on the fetus.
Contents |
[edit] Overview
In open fetal surgery, the mother is anesthetized and a hysterotomy is performed; in order to prevent bleeding, a medical stapling device is used. Once the uterus is open and the fetus is exposed, the actual surgical repair work can begin. Upon completion of the fetal surgery, the uterus and abdominal wall is closed up and the mother is awakened.
The surgery is very similar in seriousness to a normal cesarean section and the procedure has proven to be safe for both the mother and the fetus. It is still a fairly major surgery and the mother remain in the hospital for 3-7 days for monitoring and is required to deliver via cesarean section. Often babies who have been operated on in this manner are born pre-term.
[edit] History
Fetal surgical techniques using animal models were first developed at the University of California, San Francisco in 1980.
In 1981, the first open fetal surgery in the world was performed at University of California, San Francisco under the direction of Dr. Michael Harrison. The fetus in question had a congenital hydronephrosis, a blockage in the urinary tract that caused the bladder to dangerously extend. To correct this a vesicostomy was performed placing a catheter in the fetus allowing the urine to be released normally. The blockage itself was removed surgically after birth. <ref>First fetal surgery survivor finally meets his doctor: 24 years ago, UCSF surgeon saved his life in mom's womb. San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved on 2006-07-26.</ref>
Further advances have been made in the years since this first operation. New techniques have allowed additional defects to be treated and for less intensive forms of fetal intervention such as fetendo and fetal image-guided surgery
[edit] Defects Treatable by Open Fetal Surgery
- Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (now treated more commonly by fetendo)
- Sacrococcygeal teratoma
- Congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation
- Pulmonary sequestration
- Congenital heart disease
- Myelomeningocele
[edit] References
<references />
[edit] External links
- The Brown Fetal Treatment Program - Providence, Rhode Island
- UCSF Fetal Treatment Center: What is Fetal Intervention?
- Fetal Care Center of Cincinnati -- Fetal Surgery Interventions
[edit] See also
