Fetuses with enlarged ventricles may not benefit from fetal spina bifida surgery: 5 notes

Spine

Researchers found that fetal spina bifida surgery may be more effective for fetuses with smaller ventricles, according to Medical Xpress.

Noel B. Tulipan, MD, of the department of neurosurgery and pediatrics at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tenn., spearheaded the study. The researchers looked at data from the National Institutes of Health's Management of Myelomeningocele study.

The Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics published the study, which was backed by the National Institutes of Health.

 

Here are five notes:

 

1. A second surgery was more likely required for fetuses with enlarged ventricles.

 

2. Researchers concluded that because of the dangers associated with fetal surgery, physicians should consider performing spinal surgery after birth for those infants with enlarged ventricles.

 

3. Fetuses with large ventricles often needed a shunt after birth, even if they received surgery in the womb.

 

4. Researchers suggested that fetuses with ventricles smaller than 10 mm should receive spina bifida surgery while in the womb, while those with ventricles larger than 15 mm should undergo spina bifida surgery after birth.

 

5. Infants who received spina bifida surgery in the womb had a better change of walking without crutches.

 

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