Doctors in the UK have successfully performed surgery on a baby before birth to correct a severe congenital defect, marking a significant milestone in medicine, reports infohub.kz.
The fetus was diagnosed with a complex form of gastroschisis, a condition where the intestines develop outside the abdominal cavity. The anomaly was detected at 20 weeks of pregnancy. Typically, after birth, such children require one or more surgeries, lengthy intensive care, and a long recovery period. Some patients face lifelong serious intestinal issues.
In this case, the expectant mother was offered participation in an international clinical trial. At 26 weeks of pregnancy, the surgery was performed at Texas Children's Hospital in the USA, in collaboration with specialists from London's Great Ormond Street Hospital. Surgeons made a small incision to access the uterus, temporarily replaced the amniotic fluid with carbon dioxide gas for better visualization, and gently returned the intestines into the abdominal cavity. The uterus was then closed, and the pregnancy continued normally.
A few weeks before the procedure, the fetus was also injected with botulinum toxin into the abdominal wall muscles to relax the tissues and facilitate the surgery.
The baby boy, named Theo, was born about three months later. Immediately after birth, he was able to feed on breast milk, fully transitioned to natural feeding by the second day, and was discharged home on the fourth day. According to doctors, the child is developing normally.
The main advantage of this surgery is protecting the intestines before birth. While they are outside the abdominal cavity, amniotic fluid gradually damages them. If the intestines are returned during pregnancy, the risk of complications is significantly reduced.
Theo is the third child in the world and the first in the UK to undergo such a procedure. The method remains experimental and is undergoing clinical trials.