Complex pre-natal surgery can prevent a life of paralysis, says UK's NHS
At least 32 spina bifida surgeries, sometimes requiring 30 doctors to carry out, have so far been performed.
By JERUSALEM POST STAFFA plastinated fetus is seen during the exhibition "Body Worlds" by Gunther von Hagen in Rome(photo credit: REUTERS)
Surgeons in the UK have been helping babies with spina bifida avoid a life of paralysis with a surgical procedure that is carried out before the baby is born, Sky News has reported.Some 32 of these surgeries have been performed, sometimes requiring as many as 30 doctors, according to the UK's National Health Service.The condition occurs when the spinal cord and back bones fail to form properly as the fetus develops and this can have devastating consequences. According to UK health officials, operating on babies during the late second, or early third trimester has produced better results than waiting until the baby is born before performing the surgery."As well as fighting a global pandemic, the NHS continues to develop and offer these trailblazing services and continues to be there for patients," NHS medical director Prof. Stephen Powis told Sky News."Our co-ordinator based at UCLH [University College Hospital, London] manages referrals from the whole of the UK and devolved nations," said fetal medical expert Prof. Anna David, of the University College of London Hospitals.