Amrita Hospital makes India fourth country to offer rare fetal surgery

August 26th, 2015, Kochi, India

Our own Amrita Hospital has unveiled its Centre of Excellence in Fetal Care (CEFC), which will use open fetal surgery to treat complex and rare fetal conditions. CEFC is the first of its kind in Asia, and makes India only the fourth country in the world to offer open surgery on fetuses - after USA, France and Spain.

“Open Fetal Surgery entails taking a baby with birth defects out of [the] mother’s womb, performing corrective surgery, and placing the fetus back inside the womb,” explained Professor Mohan Abraham, Head of Pediatric and Fetal Surgery at Amrita. “The pregnancy is then allowed to continue.This prevents complications to the baby from birth defect, thereby helping to deliver a healthy child.”

The Centre already has performed a surgical “EXIT” procedure for an in-utero baby with swelling in the neck that could constrict its breathing at birth.

CEFC has a dedicated fetal care team, including experts from Fetal Medicine, Perinatology, Obstetrics, Pediatric Surgery, Pediatric Genetics, Pediatric and Fetal Cardiology, Pediatric Neurology & Neuro-Surgery, Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery, Human Cyto-Genetics, Biochemistry and Fetal Pathology. The Centre offers every aspect of fetal care from conception to delivery and complete postnatal care.