title: Organogenesis particularly relevant to fetal surgery.
abstract: In utero surgical intervention is an exciting frontier in medicine. Fetal surgeons strive to treat congenital anomalies definitively while organogenesis is still occurring. Many of these anomalies pose such a threat to the viability of the affected fetus that waiting until after the child is born to treat them is frequently not satisfying and too often unsuccessful. We review the embryology of selected systems that have associated aberrancies of development for which fetal surgery is particularly applicable. The surgeon can more effectively launch an assault against congenital anomalies when armed with a solid appreciation of normal development. Recognizing the critical period for the development of a system allows him or her to formulate the optimal time and mode of intervention.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, 513 Parnassus Avenue, S-320, San Francisco, California 94143-0104, USA.
authors.forename: Christopher A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Crisera
authors.forename: Julie K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Marosky
authors.forename: Michael T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Longaker
authors.forename: George K
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Gittes
mesh_terms: D003964:Diaphragm / Q000196:embryology; D005315:Fetal Diseases / Q000196:embryology / Q000601:surgery*; D005333:Fetus / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008046:Lip / Q000196:embryology; D008168:Lung / Q000196:embryology; D038081:Organogenesis; D010159:Palate / Q000196:embryology; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000196:embryology; D014551:Urinary Tract / Q000196:embryology