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The first intrauterine myelomeningocele correction surgery is performed in Colombia

The first intrauterine myelomeningocele correction surgery is performed in Colombia

The first intrauterine myelomeningocele correction surgery is performed in Colombia

Thanks to the early detection specialists in neonates from the Colombia University Clinic performed the first in utero myelomeningocele correction in the country.

The first intrauterine myelomeningocele correction surgery is performed in Colombia
Icono Autor Editorial Keralty |  icono fecha 1 November 2019
  • - The first myelomeningocele correction surgery in the country was performed by Dr. Mauricio Herrera at the Colombia University Clinic in Bogotá.
  • - The intervention corrected a malformation in the baby's spine, while it was in the mother's uterus, in order to reduce the consequences for the newborn who was born in perfect health conditions.
  • - The mother comes from the city of Bucaramanga, is 22 years old, and is in perfect health. 
 
Bogota, November 2019 - The Maternal-Fetal Medicine Unit of the Colombia University Clinic performed the first myelomeningocele surgical correction surgery in Uterus in the country, becoming a new milestone for fetal health in Colombia. The procedure was developed by Dr. Mauricio Herrera, Head of the unit and founder of the Latin American Center for Fetal Therapy and Surgery, together with specialists in neurosurgery, neonatologists, and pediatricians, among others.
 
Thanks to the early detection of spina bifida with which the baby was gestating in the mother's womb, which implies an incomplete closure of the last vertebrae of the spine and can cause conditions such as hydrocephalus, damage to the cerebellum, difficulties in walking, alterations in their sphincters, and even paraplegia, specialists in neonates from the Colombia University Clinic performed the first in utero myelomeningocele correction in the country. 
 
This intervention corrected a malformation in the baby's spinal column, while it was in the mother's uterus, in order to reduce the sequelae for the neonate and resulting in the birth of a 1,080 g child without any motor disability. 
 
This is a great advance not only for Colsanitas Clinic, but also for Latin America, as this contribution to medicine highlights the excellent performance and knowledge of local doctors who seek to improve the health of Colombians, even before birth. 
 
In utero surgical correction of myelomeningocele is the procedure by which the uterus of the pregnant woman is opened to expose the part of the baby's spine, in order for the neurosurgeon to proceed with the correction and subsequently the closure of the uterus. 
 
This case arrived in Bogota from the city of Bucaramanga when the mother was 22 weeks pregnant. A karyotype study was carried out, which determined the chromosome constitution. Then, the baby was diagnosed with spina bifida, located in the lower part of the spine where the anomaly was finally detected, and therefore, the medical team decided to perform surgery on the baby immediately. 
 
Importance of the process for Colombia and Latin America
 
Colsanitas Clinic is the only health institution in the country that has the technology, specialists and all the instruments around prenatal diagnosis and fetal medicine, which allows any type of fetal therapy or surgery to be performed before birth, when these are required. These resources helped to successfully achieve the first procedure of its kind in Colombia. Likewise, the care service went beyond an operating room, since it was possible to accompany the baby's mother from her city of residence to Bogota, thanks to the intervention of Colsanitas and Sanitas EPS for their transfer and accommodation.
This procedure marks the starting point for Colombia to put itself as one of the leading countries in medicine on the continent.