Advances and challenges in fetal surgery: key to the future of medicine in the 21st century

Authors

Keywords:

fetus, fetoscopy, artificial intelligence, medicine, neonatology

Abstract

Fetal surgery has made remarkable progress in the last decade, transforming the treatment of congenital anomalies. This intervention, performed on the fetus before birth, has been enriched by minimally invasive surgical techniques, such as fetoscopy, which offer fewer risks for the mother and fetus. A significant milestone is the treatment of spina bifida, where fetuses undergoing surgery show better mobility and quality of life outcomes than those treated postnatally. However, ethical dilemmas arise regarding parental consent and equitable access to these techniques. Education of health professionals is crucial, given the complexity of the interventions, to improve decision-making and communication with families. Research continues to evolve, with gene therapy and artificial intelligence promising more accurate diagnoses and better outcomes. It is essential that parents are informed about the risks and benefits of fetal surgery and that evidence-based guidelines are established to facilitate informed decisions. Fetal surgery represents a major advance, but also poses ethical and social challenges that require a collaborative and humanitarian approach. Continued research and education are necessary to provide the best care for fetuses and their mothers, ensuring that these innovations are implemented ethically and effectively.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Zepf J, Züger A, Vonzun L, Ruegg L, Strubing N, Krahenmann F, et al. Enhanced Recovery after Surgery in Open Fetal Spina Bifida Repair. Fetal Diagn Ther. [Internet]. 2024 [citado 2024/10/04]; 51(3):267-277. Disponible en: https://karger.com/fdt/article/51/3/267/895503/Enhanced-Recovery-after-Surgery-in-Open-Fetal

Cuenca FA, Rodríguez Hidalgo A, Hidalgo Marrero Y. Una mirada a los avances en Cirugía Fetal. UNIMED [Internet]. 2024 [citado 2024/10/24]; 6(3). Disponible en: https://revunimed.sld.cu/index.php/revestud/article/view/377

Thompson DNP, De Vloo P, Deprest J. Fetal Surgery for Myelomeningocele: Neurosurgical Perspectives. Adv Tech Stand Neurosurg. [Internet]. 2023 [citado 2024/10/04]; 47:25-48. Disponible en: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37640871/

Downloads

Published

2025-01-08

How to Cite

1.
Estrada Rodríguez Y, Mallagón Mendoza HD. Advances and challenges in fetal surgery: key to the future of medicine in the 21st century. Columna méd. [Internet]. 2025 Jan. 8 [cited 2025 Mar. 13];4(1):e224. Available from: https://revcolumnamedica.sld.cu/index.php/columnamedica/article/view/224

Issue

Vol. 4 (2025): Continuous publication

Section

Letter to the editor

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Yonathan Estrada Rodríguez, Héctor Daniel Mallagón Mendoza

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

You are free of:

  1. Share copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format
  2. Adapt Remix, transform and build from material
  3. The licensor cannot revoke these freedoms as long as you follow the terms of the license

Under the following terms:

  1. Attribution - Oh, it's a good thing. You must give adequate credit , provide a link to the license, e indicate whether changes have been made . You can do it in any reasonable way, but not in such a way as to suggest that you or your use have the support of the licensor.
  2. Non-Commercial - Oh, it's a . You can't make use of the material with commercial purposes .
  3. No additional restrictions You can't apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from making any use permitted by the license.