Here's a story that really looks like something out of a movie science fiction. A team of researchers and doctors from Boston hospitals has completed the first "in utero" surgery on the brain of a fetus.
In summary? The future newborn was saved even before coming into the world. If this doesn't surprise you, you have little heart, friends.
Saving new lives
La aneurysmal malformation of the vein of Galen (VGAM) it is a rare condition which can cause severe brain damage. It is usually treated after birth, but carries the risk of long-term brain damage, disability, or death. For this reason, a medical team has decided to try a revolutionary approach on the smallest patient: to intervene in the uterus, even before birth.
The procedure, presented in a study in the journal Stroke (I'll link it here) it was performed in an obstetric operating room, with the collaboration of specialists in maternal-fetal medicine and fetal radiology.
In utero surgery, the results of the operation
The first patient treated with this method did not show any negative effects on the brain: for this reason such a procedure could mark a paradigm shift in the management of VGAM.
Although it is only the first case, and it is essential to continue research and tests to evaluate the effectiveness in other patients, this new in utero technique can significantly reduce the risk of long-term brain damage or death among newborns affected by this malformation.
The future
This in utero operation has shown that it is possible to correct malformations before birth, preventing damage and improving the long-term outlook for these babies, offering them a healthier, disability-free life. It could also improve the long-term outlook for these children, offering them a healthier, disability-free life.
And it's an amazing thing.
