Brain surgery on fetus in the womb now possible

Introduction to the Procedure

Medical professionals have conducted a groundbreaking in utero surgery to treat a rare and potentially fatal prenatal condition in a fetus. While in utero surgery has been used before for other conditions, this marks the first time it has been successfully used to treat "vein of Galen malformation," which is a rare brain abnormality caused by an irregular blood vessel. In a two-hour procedure, doctors used ultrasound imaging to guide a needle through the mother's uterus and into the fetus's head vein, before inserting tiny coils to decrease blood flow in the affected area. This successful procedure represents a significant advancement in in utero surgeries and could potentially save the lives of many future infants affected by this condition.

Details of the Procedure

The groundbreaking procedure of performing in utero surgery to treat vein of Galen malformation, a rare and fatal prenatal condition, was successfully conducted in March.

The details of this procedure have been published in the peer-reviewed journal of the American Stroke Association, Stroke, a division of the American Heart Association. During the two-hour surgery, doctors utilized ultrasound imaging to guide a needle through the mother's uterus and into a vein located in the back of the fetus's head. A catheter was then inserted into the needle, which placed small coils to decrease the blood flow in the affected vein.

The procedure marks a significant advancement in the field of in utero surgery and offers hope to expectant mothers whose fetuses have been diagnosed with the vein of Galen malformation.

Patient Outcomes and Clinical Trail

The infant who underwent the groundbreaking in utero surgery to treat vein of Galen malformation was the first patient in a clinical trial currently in progress at Boston Children’s Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital. The procedure was performed under the supervision of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The infant was delivered by induced vaginal birth two days after the successful surgery, which lasted for two hours and utilized ultrasound imaging to guide a needle through the mother's uterus and into a vein in the fetus's head, with a catheter used to insert tiny coils to decrease blood flow in the vein.

Derek and Kenyatta Coleman, the parents of the baby, informed CNN that they were made aware of their child's condition during a 30-week ultrasound, and that the doctor informed them that "something was amiss with the baby's brain, and that her heart was enlarged." Although Kenyatta acknowledged the potential risks associated with participating in the clinical trial, the Colemans "felt they had no other option," according to CNN.

Weeks later, doctors say the Colemans’ baby daughter, Denver, is thriving.

Dr. Darren B. Orbach, the lead study author, stated in a press release that the aggreassive decline commonly observed after birth did not occur in their first treated case. "We are pleased to report that at six weeks, the infant is progressing remarkably well, on no medications, eating normally, gaining weight, and is back home. There are no signs of any negative effects on the brain," he added.