World famous medical institutions complete the first intrauterine fetal operation

In the United States, about 1645 newborns suffer from spina bifida every yearSpina bifida is a birth defect, which usually occurs around 18 weeks, but can be detected by routine anatomical scanning< br / > spina bifida affects the lowest part of the spine, which occurs when the neural tube is not fully closedThis results in the abnormal formation of the spine that protects the spinal cordSo much so that babies suffer from spinal cord and nerve damage, and maybe even brain damageSpina bifida can also affect the strength of children's calves, their ability to walk, run and go to the toilet< br / > before the fetal repair operation, the cerebrospinal fluid will protrude from the back of the spine, which is called Arnold Chiari malformation, which will cause the cerebrospinal fluid to return and generate pressure, leading to brain injuryIn general, babies with spina bifida need to be shunted after birth to release accumulated fluid< br / > in a fetal repair operation, a Caesarean like incision should be made to expose the mother's uterusUltrasound is then used to locate the placenta and fetusThe uterus is opened 4.5 cm and the back of the fetus is exposed, showing spina bifidaThe surgeon then carefully sutures several separate layers of tissue (myofascial, dural, and skin) to cover the defectWhen the uterus is closed, the fetus remains in the uterus until the end of the pregnancy and is finally delivered by caesarean section< br / > the success of the operation was based on two indicators - the restoration of normal brain structure and the gestational age at birth< br / > the operation was quite successfulOne month after the repair, the fetus underwent a brain examThe results showed that the deformity of the fetus was reversed and the posterior part of the brain returned to its normal appearance < br / > the operation was also successful on the second index When the baby is born, the average time of birth after operation is 34 weeks In this case, the baby is born at 36.5 weeks of gestation This is more than two weeks beyond the average birth time, and babies in the womb have more time to develop and grow < br / > Darrell CASS, MD, Cleveland Clinic, said: "despite the success of the operation, spina bifida can never be cured In the future, this child will need a multidisciplinary nursing team from our spina bifida clinic to provide continuous supportive care, including the joint care of experts in neurology, Urology, orthopedics, developmental pediatrics and neurosurgery " < br / > reference: < br / > [1] Cleveland Clinic performance its first in computero total safety