Barcelona hospitals have carried out Europe’s first in-utero surgery on a fetus with gastroschisis, a birth defect in which the intestines develop outside the body. The operation was performed by BCNatal, the maternal-fetal and neonatology consortium formed by Sant Joan de Déu Hospital and Clínic Hospital in Barcelona.
Eduard Gratacós, director of BCNatal, said on Thursday that the procedure was a European first. He added that only two similar operations had been carried out in the United States before the Barcelona case. The baby, Tiago, was born six weeks after the intervention and is now two months old, feeding well and in good health.
Gastroschisis is usually treated after birth. In this case, doctors decided to operate while the fetus was still in the womb, with the aim of returning the intestines to the abdominal cavity before delivery. The team said the procedure was complex and required highly specialised medical staff.
The hospitals said the result could open new options for treating severe fetal conditions before birth. Tiago will continue to be monitored as he grows. For more local health coverage, see our news coverage.
For background on the hospitals involved, see the official sites for Sant Joan de Déu Hospital and Clínic Hospital. BCNatal also publishes information on its work in maternal-fetal medicine on the BCNatal website.
