Claire Reid
Medics have carried out a first-of-its-kind life-saving brain surgery procedure on a baby still in their mother's womb.
Doctors in Boston were able to treat the unborn baby who had a life-threatening vein condition called Vein of Galen malformation (VOGM), that can cause strokes and heart failure soon after birth.
Although doctors have been able to perform brain surgery on babies in the womb in the past, it’s the first time that a procedure treating this specific condition has been attempted in utero.
Dr Darren Orbach of Boston Children's Hospital said: “We were thrilled to see that the aggressive decline usually seen after birth simply did not appear.
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“We are pleased to report that at six weeks, the infant is progressing remarkably well, on no medication, eating normally, gaining weight, and is back home.
“There are no signs of any negative effects on the brain.”
Doctors used ultrasound technology to help guide them during the surgery, which was carried out while the mother was 34-weeks pregnant.
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Dr Carol Benson, of Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, said: "In every foetal surgery, there are two patients: the baby and the mother.
"Caring for both the foetus and the mother is an important aspect of foetal procedures.
"You need to make sure that everything is aligned perfectly, and we couldn’t do anything without the precise communication and teamwork of everyone involved.”
VOGM causes the arteries in the brain to drain blood straight into the veins, instead of into the capillaries, which then floods the heart and causes brain damage. Babies born with the condition can day within days of being born if not treated.
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Until now, treatments for babies with VOGM would happen after they were born, by which time brain damage could have already occurred.
This new technique aims to correct the problem before the baby has been impacted by VOGM.
During the surgery, which was reported in the Journal of NeuroInterventional Surgery, a team of 10 medical staff used a long-length needle to inject a substance into the vessel in the baby’s brain to force the blood to flow back.
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Dr Orbach said: “This approach has the potential to mark a paradigm shift in managing vein of Galen malformation.
“We repair the malformation prior to birth and head off the heart failure before it occurs rather than trying to reverse it after birth.
“This may markedly reduce the risk of long-term brain damage, disability, or death among these infants.”