PanamaTimes

Sunday, Sep 15, 2024

In World's First, US Doctors Perform Brain Surgery On Baby Still In Womb

In World's First, US Doctors Perform Brain Surgery On Baby Still In Womb

A baby in the womb with the rare vein of Galen malformation disease was saved in a first-of-its-kind brain surgery.

A team of American doctors has performed groundbreaking brain surgery on a baby who is still in the womb to treat a rare blood vessel abnormality inside the brain, according to CNN.

This rare brain condition is known as "Venus of Galen malformation," and the operation was conducted at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Boston Children's Hospital.

The condition occurs when the blood vessel that carries blood from the brain to the heart doesn't develop correctly. The malformation results in an overwhelming amount of blood stressing the veins and heart and can lead to a cascade of health problems, reported the news outlet.




"Tremendous brain injuries and immediate heart failure after birth are the two big challenges," Dr. Darren Orbach, a radiologist at Boston Children's Hospital and expert in treating VOGM, told CNN.

Giving the details of the complication, he said that typically, infants are treated after they're born using a catheter to insert tiny coils to slow down blood flow. However, the treatment often happens too late.

"Despite advancements in care, "50 to 60 percent of all babies with this condition will get very sick immediately. And for those, it looks like there's about a 40 percent mortality rate. About half of infants that survive experience severe neurological and cognitive issues," Orbach said.

According to CBS News, Baby Denver was growing normally inside her mom when, on a routine ultrasound, doctors discovered she had this rare blood vessel abnormality inside the brain. Many babies with this condition develop heart failure or brain damage and often don't survive. In fact, Denver's heart was struggling, and the malformation was getting dangerously large.

So, at 34 weeks of pregnancy, a team at Boston Children's and the Brigham were able to repair her malformation while she was still in the uterus, using ultrasound guidance, a needle similar to those used for amniocentesis, and tiny coils that were placed directly into the abnormal blood vessels to stop blood flow.

What is a vein of Galen malformation?

According to Boston Children's Hospital, a vein of Galen malformation (VOGM) is a type of rare blood vessel abnormality inside the brain. In VOGM, misshapen arteries in the brain connect directly with veins instead of connecting with capillaries, which helps slow blood flow. This causes a rush of high-pressure blood into the veins. This extra pressure in the veins can cause a number of problems.

Newsletter

Related Articles

PanamaTimes
0:00
0:00
Close
Impact and Aftermath of 9/11 Attacks on the US and the World
Internet Surpasses TV as UK's Leading News Source
Significant Corruption Concerns in Covid Contracts
MORAES WILL NOT SILENCE ME: "I WAS BORN FREE, I WILL DIE FREE!"
BRAZIL’S SUPREME COURT MINISTER ORDERS EXPLANATION ON X BLOCKING
Porn streamer OnlyFans paid owner $630mn in dividends
Donald Trump will not face sentencing over his 'hush money' conviction before the US presidential election on November 5, after a Manhattan judge granted his request to delay the proceeding
Return of Brazilian Artworks to Bahia
France Pilots Mobile Phone Ban in Schools
WHO-Led Study Finds No Link Between Mobile Phones and Brain Cancer
Kamala Harris is in Detroit and has a new accent again
EU Rejects Maduro’s Election Win Claim in Venezuela
Former Red Brigades Member Arrested in Argentina After 40 Years on Run
Elon Musk Accuses Brazilian Supreme Court Justice of Election Interference
Universe May Have Had a Pre-Big Bang 'Secret Life'
Ecuador's Narco Violence Threatens Scientists and Conservation Efforts
Brazilian Judge Alexandre de Moraes Blocks Elon Musk's X
Nаkеd American woman gropes security
Tsimane Tribe: Secrets to Health and Slow Ageing
OpenAI Blocks Iranian Group's ChatGPT Accounts for Election Interference
WHO Declares Mpox Global Health Emergency Again
Decline in World Records at Paris Olympics: An Analysis
EU Pressures Elon Musk Over Trump Interview
UN Reports Lowest Global Youth Unemployment Rate in 15 Years
Fatal Plane Crash Near Sao Paulo
Snoop Dogg: The Feel-Good Spirit of the Paris Olympics
McDonald's Worker Sets Restaurant On Fire Over Customer Frustration
Kamala Harris Confirmed as Democratic Candidate for US Presidential Election
Controversies at the Paris Olympics
Elon Musk Accepts Fight Challenge from Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro
First Case of 'Virgin Birth' in Endangered Shark Species in Italy
G20 Fails to Reach Agreement on Global Billionaire Tax
Mexican Drug Lords El Mayo and El Chapo's Son Arrested in Texas
World's Hottest Day Recorded on July 21
Joe Biden Withdraws from 2024 US Presidential Race
A Week of Turmoil: Key Moments in US Politics
Global IT Outage Sparks Major Concerns
Global IT Outage Unveils Digital Vulnerabilities
Secret Service Criticized for Lack of Sniper Protection During Trump Shooting
Colombian Court Annuls Amazon Tribes’ Carbon Credit Deal
Sunita Williams Safe on ISS, to Address Earth on July 10
Biden Affirms Commitment To Presidential Race
Boeing Pleads Guilty Over 737 MAX Crashes
Beryl Storm Hits Texas, Killing 2 and Causing Major Power Outages
2024 Predicted to Be World's Hottest Year
Macron Faces New Political Challenges Despite Election Relief
Florida Man Arrested Over Attempt to Withdraw One Cent
Anger mounts at Biden’s top team after disastrous debate
Bolivian President Luis Arce Denies 'Self-Coup' Allegations
Steve Bannon Begins 4-Month Prison Sentence
×