Fetal surgery for myelomeningocele: panacea or peril?
Myelomeningocele affects thousands of children worldwide with devastating consequences. In an effort to improve neurologic outcome, fetal surgery has been performed for myelomeningocele for the past 5 years. Sensorimotor function is not appreciably improved, although there may be a reduction in hindbrain herniation and a decreased need for ventriculoperitoneal shunting. The long-term clinical consequences of these findings are not clear. What is clear, however, is that further study in the form of a prospective, randomized trial is mandatory.
Hirose
Shinjiro
S
The Fetal Treatment Center, Department of Surgery, Division of Pediatric Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, 513 Parnassus Avenue, Room HSW 1601, San Francisco, California 94143-0570, USA.
Meuli-Simmen
Claudia
C
Meuli
Martin
M
D000818:Animals; D001139:Arnold-Chiari Malformation / Q000601:surgery; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000601:surgery; D005315:Fetal Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D005333:Fetus / Q000601:surgery*; D006547:Hernia; D006801:Humans; D006849:Hydrocephalus / Q000209:etiology; D008591:Meningomyelocele / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D012249:Rhombencephalon; D001743:Urinary Bladder / Q000503:physiopathology