Unique intrauterine foetal surgery performed

Kochi, Jul 21 (UNI) Doctors at the Sunrise Hospital here have conducted a unique intrauterine foetal surgery through the method of 'Amniopatch' to plug the leak in the bag in which a baby lies during pregnancy.

A team of doctors, led by Consultant Gynaecologist and Laproscopic Surgeon Dr Hafeez Rahman Padiyath, under the guidance of doctors from Chaunhaw Hopsital in Taiwan, successfully performed the procedure on 27-year-old woman, Reshmi.

Addressing a press conference here today, Dr Hafeez said, the baby lies in a bag of water, which was mainly the urine of the baby, and that it helps to prevent infection and development of the lungs.

If the bag develops a hole and starts leaking, it would result in the premature loss of the baby.

He said Reshmi developed the condition after 24 weeks into the pregnancy and the surgery was conducted to correct the situation.

Dr Hafeez said Reshmi had delivered a baby girl after 34 weeks into the pregnancy and the baby did not develop any complication.

The condition was diagnosed in ten patients per day in Kerala and the surgery would help in saving hundreds of babies, he added.

Asserting that the technology would be shared with other doctors and hospitals, he said the surgery would cost only Rs 15,000 to Rs 20,000.

The hospital was also conducting regular intrauterine foetal surgeries like embryo reduction, chylothorax, posterior urethral valve twin-to-twin transfusion and intrauterine transfusion.

UNI MA DS GT RN1821