First baby to undergo open fetal surgery safely delivered 鈥� PCMC
The first baby in the country to have undergone open fetal surgery was delivered safely two months after his operation, the Philippine Children’s Medical Center (PCMC) said Tuesday. PHOTO FROM PCMC
MANILA, Philippines — The first baby in the country to have undergone open fetal surgery was delivered safely two months after his operation, the Philippine Children’s Medical Center (PCMC) said Tuesday.
According to the PCMC, the baby boy who underwent open fetal surgery on March 26 was safely delivered via cesarean section on May 21.
“Both the mother and baby are currently in stable condition and are being closely monitored by PCMC,” the hospital said in a statement.
READ: PCMC performs PH’s first open fetal surgery
According to the PCMC, this medical milestone was made possible by “years of planning, collaboration, and specialized training.”
“Behind the baby’s safe delivery is an effort of the entire surgical team, including nurses and support staff,” said Maternal-Fetal Medicine Specialist Dr. Maria Estrella Flores.
“We planned thoroughly and made sure every detail was addressed, from training to multiple multidisciplinary team meetings and pre-procedural planning,” she added.
Open fetal surgery is a complex and delicate procedure that involves operating on a fetus while still in the womb.
The baby boy was successfully operated on while he was still in his 30-year-old mother’s womb due to myelomeningocele, a spinal defect wherein a fetus’s spinal canal is open along several vertebrae in the lower or middle back area. This condition makes the fetus prone to dangerous infections and may lead to loss of movement in the legs and bladder, as well as bowel dysfunction.
According to Flores, early prenatal care provides an opportunity to intervene at the right time and improve outcomes for the baby, even before birth.
Pediatric Neurosurgeon Dr. Jose Francisco Aguilar, for his part, explained that about one in every 1,000 babies born in the Philippines is affected by this congenital defect.
PCMC Officer-in-Charge Executive Director Dr. Maria Eva Jopson said that the PCMC will continue to advance its capacity to achieve better health outcomes for children in the Philippines and neighboring countries, who require intervention.
“This achievement, along with the continued support of the national government, stakeholders, and the public, strengthens PCMC’s commitment to its vision as the Center of Excellence in Advanced and Inclusive Pediatric Research, Training, and Service,” Jopson said.
