ArticlePediatric surgery international2021
Fetal surgery for spina bifida in Zurich: results from 150 cases.
Article in Pediatric surgery international, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 16 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
16 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 33 citations in OpenAlex.
- Benefits and complications of fetal and postnatal surgery for open spina bifida: systematic review and proportional meta-analysis.Ultrasound in obstetrics & gynecology : the official journal of the International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology · 2025Pooled it
- Ventricle Width and Cerebrospinal Fluid Diversion Rate after Open Fetal Spina Bifida Repair: A 4-Year Follow-Up.Fetal diagnosis and therapy · 2026Article
- Maternal outcomes following prenatal spina bifida repair: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Pregnancy (Hoboken, N.J.) · 2026Review
- Evolving Practices in Prenatal Open Spinal Dysraphism: A Global Survey of Selection Criteria, Surgical Techniques, and Diagnostic Trends.Prenatal diagnosis · 2026Article
- Normalization of the Middle Cerebral Artery Resistance Index: A Sign for Adequate Untethering of the Spinal Cord and Regression of Hindbrain Herniation after Fetal Spina Bifida Repair?Fetal diagnosis and therapy · 2026Article
- The Intrauterine Treatment of Open Spinal Dysraphism.Deutsches Arzteblatt international · 2025Review
- Contemporary Outcomes of a National Fetal Spina Bifida Surgery Service.Prenatal diagnosis · 2024Article
- Gestational Diabetes in Women with Fetal Spina Bifida Repair-Influence of Perioperative Management.Journal of clinical medicine · 2024Article
- Chorioamniotic Membrane Separation after Fetal Spina Bifida Repair: Impact of CMS Size and Patient Management.Fetal diagnosis and therapy · 2024Article
- Enhanced Recovery after Surgery in Open Fetal Spina Bifida Repair.Fetal diagnosis and therapy · 2024Article
- Fetal Spina Bifida Repair in Obese Mothers: Is Maternal and Fetal Safety Compromised?Fetal diagnosis and therapy · 2024Article
- Open spina bifida characterisation in a dog foetus.Veterinary medicine and science · 2023Article
- Trends in the early care of infants with myelomeningocele in the United States 2012-2018.Child's nervous system : ChNS : official journal of the International Society for Pediatric Neurosurgery · 2023Article
- Motor function outcomes in children with open prenatal repair of Spina Bifida Aperta at 36-month follow-up: The Zurich cohort.Journal of pediatric rehabilitation medicine · 2023Article
- Are Cervical Length and Fibronectin Predictors of Preterm Birth after Fetal Spina Bifida Repair? A Single Center Cohort Study.Journal of clinical medicine · 2022Article
- Practice-changing publications: Pediatric urology - focus on treatment of spina bifida.Canadian Urological Association journal = Journal de l'Association des urologues du Canada · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
18 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
purposeOver the past 10 years, over 150 fetal spina bifida surgeries were performed at the Zurich Center for Fetal Diagnosis and Therapy. This study looks at surrogates for success and failure of this approach.
methodsWe focused on key outcome parameters including hydrocephalus shunt rate at one year, bladder control at 4, independent ambulation at 3 years, and maternal, fetal, and neonatal complications.
resultsFrom the first 150 patients undergoing fetal surgery for spina bifida, 148 (98.7%) were included in the study. Maternal-fetal surgery was uneventful in 143/148 (97%) cases. Intraoperative problems included resuscitation in 4/148 fetuses (2.7%). 1/148 fetuses (0.7%) died on postoperative day 4. Maternal complications included chorioamniotic membrane separation in 22/148 (15%), lung embolism in 3/148 (2.1%), chorioamnionitis in 2/148 (1.4%), AV-block III and uterine rupture in 1/148 each (0.7%). 1/148 (0.7%) newborn death was recorded. Hindbrain herniation was identified preoperatively in 132/148 (90%) fetuses and resolved completely in 119/132 (90%). At one year, 39/106 (37%) children had required a CSF diversion. At 4 years, 4/34 patients (12%) had normal bladder control. At 3 years, 48/57 (84%) walked independently.
conclusionA majority of patients benefitted from prenatal intervention, in that the shunt rate was lower and the rates of continent and walking patients were higher than reported with postnatal care.
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