Fetal myelomeningocele repair: a narrative review of the history, current controversies and future directions.

ABSTRACT: Fetal surgery is a relatively new field of medicine. The purpose of this narrative review is to present the history of how fetal surgery became the standard of care for myelomeningocele (MMC), the current controversies of this treatment, and active areas of research that may change how MMC is treated. Fetal surgery for MMC emerged out of the University of California, San Francisco in the 1980s in the laboratory of Dr. Michael Harrison. Initial research focused on testing the hypothesis that the in utero repair of MMC could improve outcomes in the ovine model. Evidence from this model suggested that in utero repair decreases the secondary damage to the exposed neural tissue and improves post-natal neurologic outcomes, opening the door for human intervention. This was followed

SUBMITTER: Yamashiro KJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8192992 | biostudies-literature | 2021 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature