Doctors Say Risky Surgery On Unborn Baby’s Brain Was A Success

So many things can go wrong during a pregnancy and there are only so many ways modern medicine can address serious problems related to a developing fetus.

A team of experts in Boston, however, appears to have given doctors hope that a new life-saving procedure can be used to save unborn lives.

A miracle baby

Reports indicate that a girl was born about two months ago despite developing a condition that could have easily proven fatal. During a routine check-up, her mother was informed that there was evidence of Galen malformation, which resulted in a pool of blood forming within the fetus’s brain.

But one doctor had been working on groundbreaking trials related to surgery on fetuses and believed such a procedure could help.

All about timing

Galen malformation is generally thought to be a minor issue in utero since the placenta seems to protect the developing embryo. But once a baby is born and separated from his or her mother, the problems are usually swift and severe.

“All of a sudden there’s this enormous burden placed right on the newborn heart,” said Darren Orbach, the radiologist who helped develop the procedure. “Most babies with this condition will become very sick, very quickly.”

That’s why this surgery was apparently worth the risk.

What it means

The procedure lasted about two hours and took place about 34 weeks into the gestational period. According to reports, the mother was anesthetized but awake throughout the surgery.

A team of experts monitored the fetus’s vital signs as a needle carefully completed the procedure — and a healthy baby girl was born just a few days later.

Since then, Orbach has written a report about the case and hopes his team’s success will help other families dealing with this serious issue in the future.

Chris Agee May 8th, 2023

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