A 28-week-old fetus operated on the baby Jesus in utero

(ANSA) - ROME, APRIL 29 - A balloon has been placed in the trachea of ​​a baby still in the mother's belly, to allow lung development and increase its chance of survival. This delicate procedure has been successfully performed on a 28-week-old fetus, suffering from a congenital diaphragmatic hernia form, by the doctors of the Bambino Gesù Pediatric Hospital of Rome in collaboration with those of the Milan Polyclinic Hospital (ClinicaMangiagalli) and San Pietro Hospital -Fatebenefratelli diRoma. Mother and health personnel have undergone all the safety procedures provided for in the plans for the Covid-19 emergency and for the verification of the negative nature of the virus.
   The surgery was done on April 17, with a minimally invasive endoscopic procedure in utero lasting 45 minutes, without complications. 10 days after surgery, ultrasound checks have revealed an increase in the volume of the lungs. Congenital diaphragmatic hernia is a rare disease, affecting one child every 2500-4000 live births, and in Italy it affects about 150-180 children per year. It is a defect in the diaphragm, which causes the 'ascent' of the intestine, stomach, spleen and liver into the thoracic cavity. The thrust of the organisisites in the thorax compresses the lungs, compromising their development and causing an increase in the pressure in the circulatory system. The risk of mortality in severe cases can exceed 90%. During the surgery, the first of its kind performed to the Child Jesus, a fetoscope (very thin probe equipped with a fiber optic camera) was inserted in the pregnant woman's abdomen. Passing through the mouth of the fetus (just 35 centimeters long by 1.2 kilos of weight), the trachea was reached, where a tiny balloon was positioned and inflated, it will act as a cap, blocking the leakage of the liquid normally produced by the lung. The accumulation of fluid inside the lungs, which in cases of diaphragmatic hernia are reduced in size, keeps them expanding and promotes their development.
   (HANDLE).