A six-hour operation on an unborn baby at 25 weeks of pregnancy opens a new chapter in advanced healthcare
🔴 By | Pravin Kadam
New Delhi : India has achieved a historic milestone in medical science. A team of specialist doctors at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, has successfully performed the country’s first open fetal surgery to repair a serious spinal defect in an unborn baby.
The groundbreaking six-hour operation was conducted on November 12 at the AIIMS Neurosciences Centre. The baby was at 25 weeks of pregnancy when doctors performed the complex procedure, marking a significant advancement in fetal medicine and paediatric neurosurgery.
🟡 Over 30 Medical Professionals Joined Hands
The surgery was performed to treat a condition known as myelomeningocele, the most severe form of spina bifida. It is a birth defect in which the developing baby’s spinal cord and its protective coverings protrude through an opening in the spine.
The condition can lead to serious complications, including paralysis, difficulties with movement and accumulation of fluid in the brain. Traditionally, doctors repair this defect after the baby is born. However, fetal surgery offers an opportunity to address the problem while the baby is still inside the mother’s womb.
The operation followed more than five weeks of detailed preparation, medical assessments, fetal imaging, counselling and surgical planning. More than 30 doctors and nursing professionals from multiple departments participated in the procedure.
Professor Dr Deepak Gupta led the neurosurgical team, while Professor Dr Neena Malhotra and Professor Dr K. Aparna Sharma led the maternal-fetal medicine and obstetric teams. Advanced microscopy and continuous ultrasound guidance were used during the operation.
🟡 New Hope, But Long-Term Care Remains Essential
The major objective of prenatal surgery is to protect the exposed spinal cord from further damage during the remaining months of pregnancy. In carefully selected cases, this approach may reduce certain neurological complications and improve outcomes after birth.
Doctors have clarified that fetal surgery is not a complete cure. The child may still require long-term medical supervision, neurological treatment, rehabilitation and other specialised care.
The procedure was performed free of cost under the Central Government’s Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK). Both the mother and unborn baby will continue to receive close medical monitoring throughout the remaining pregnancy, delivery and newborn period.
This achievement represents more than a successful surgical procedure. It demonstrates India’s growing capabilities in advanced medical science and brings new hope to families facing complex fetal health conditions.
AIIMS Delhi’s breakthrough could also pave the way for developing specialised fetal surgery facilities at other major medical institutions in the country.
