Implementation and Assessment of a Laparotomy-Assisted Three-Port Fetoscopic Spina Bifida Repair Program.
Corinna KeilSiegmund KöhlerBenjamin SassMaximilian SchulzeGerald KalmusMichael BelfortNicolas SchmittDaniele DiehlAlice KingStefanie GroßCaitlin D SuttonLuc JoyeuxMirjam WegeChristopher NimskyWiliam E WhiteheadEberhard UhlThierry A G M HuismanBernd A NeubauerStefanie WeberHelmut HummlerRoland Axt-FliednerIvonne Alexandra BedeiPublished in: Journal of clinical medicine (2023)
Open spina bifida (OSB) is a congenital, non-lethal malformation with multifactorial etiology. Fetal therapy can be offered under certain conditions to parents after accurate prenatal diagnostic and interdisciplinary counseling. Since the advent of prenatal OSB surgery, various modifications of the original surgical techniques have evolved, including laparotomy-assisted fetoscopic repair. After a two-year preparation time, the team at the University of Giessen and Marburg (UKGM) became the first center to provide a three-port, three-layer fetoscopic repair of OSB via a laparotomy-assisted approach in the German-speaking area. We point out that under the guidance of experienced centers and by intensive multidisciplinary preparation and training, a previously described and applied technique could be transferred to a different setting.