Recent advances in fetal surgery.
Fetal surgery is now an accepted modality for treatment of a variety of lethal and non-lethal congenital conditions. It represents a new, fast-moving frontier of medicine in which cooperative mulitdisciplinary effort and input are required to assure both fetal and maternal welfare. A wide range of therapeutic strategies from percutaneous to open invasive techniques has led to a complex list of different procedures for different diseases. This review identifies the most common disease entities managed by fetal intervention, examines the evolution in development of techniques to those currently used, and describes the prospective, randomized trials presently underway that are designed to establish the safety and determine true efficacy of treatment. Fetal surgery as a (multi)discipline continues to strive to minimize maternal and fetal risk. Undoubtedly, as tocolytic therapy and neonatal intensive efforts improve, fetal therapy will expand.
Division of Pediatric Surgery, The Fetal Treatment Center, University of California, San Frncisrco, CA 94143-0570, USA.
Raul A
RA
Cortes
Diana L
DL
Farmer
D001998:Bronchopulmonary Sequestration / Q000601:surgery; D000013:Congenital Abnormalities / Q000601:surgery; D015615:Cystic Adenomatoid Malformation of Lung, Congenital / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D005315:Fetal Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D005330:Fetofetal Transfusion / Q000601:surgery; D005332:Fetoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D005333:Fetus / Q000601:surgery*; D006548:Hernia, Diaphragmatic / Q000601:surgery; D065630:Hernias, Diaphragmatic, Congenital; D006801:Humans; D008591:Meningomyelocele / Q000601:surgery; D011247:Pregnancy; D012445:Sacrococcygeal Region / Q000601:surgery; D014427:Twins; D014564:Urogenital Abnormalities / Q000601:surgery