AIIMS doctors perform India’s first open foetal surgery

Doctors at AIIMS, New Delhi, performed India’s first open foetal surgery on 12 November to repair a lumbosacral myelomeningocele, the most severe form of spina bifida, in an unborn baby at 25 weeks of pregnancy. The six-hour operation involved closing the defect while the baby was still in the womb to protect the developing spinal cord, with a team of more than 30 clinicians and nurses from multiple specialities participating.

The surgery followed more than five weeks of multidisciplinary preparation, including foetal imaging, counselling, anaesthetic planning and operative simulation. The procedure was provided free of cost under the Centre’s Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK). The landmark MOMS trial cited by both sources found that 40% of children who underwent prenatal repair needed a cerebrospinal-fluid shunt by 12 months, compared with 82% of those repaired after birth.

Doctors cautioned that foetal surgery carries risks including premature labour and uterine scar complications, and is not a substitute for prevention. The mother and foetus will continue multidisciplinary monitoring through the remainder of pregnancy, delivery and the newborn period. AIIMS said it plans to develop a structured foetal-care programme to make the procedure accessible to eligible families.