The Philippines has recorded its first successful open fetal surgery for myelomeningocele, with the procedure carried out by specialists at the Philippine Children’s Medical Center (PCMC), the hospital announced.

In a statement, PCMC said the groundbreaking procedure was conducted on March 26 on a 30-year-old pregnant woman at PCMC’s Perinatal Center in Quezon City. 

As of this writing, the patient remains under close monitoring and is between 31 and 32 weeks into her pregnancy.

The operation, the hospital said, was carried out in collaboration with the Fetal Surgery Team from Colombia’s Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana Clinica Universitaria, a group with expertise in maternal-fetal interventions.

Myelomeningocele is a congenital defect that occurs when the spinal cord fails to close completely during early fetal development. 

It can result in serious neurological damage, motor impairment, and a 10 percent mortality rate among live-born infants, according to PCMC.

Dr. Jose Francisco Aguilar, the Pediatric Neurosurgeon of the team, said that open fetal surgery is a complex and delicate procedure that involves operating on a fetus while still in the womb.

In addition, he stated that repairing the spinal defect before birth through surgery aims to reduce the risks associated with myelomeningocele, such as hydrocephalus, the need for a ventriculoperitoneal shunt at birth, and various motor, cognitive, bowel, and bladder dysfunctions, alongside potential social and emotional difficulties.

Open fetal surgery, according to PCMC, is a highly specialized procedure in which surgeons open the uterus, operate on the fetus to close the spinal defect, and then carefully suture the uterus to continue the pregnancy. 

The hospital said the goal is to reduce complications such as hydrocephalus and nerve damage, and improve the baby’s chances of walking independently after birth.

The optimal period for this type of surgery is between 19 and 25 weeks of gestation. 

Although the procedure was done slightly later in this case, PCMC noted that early intervention generally results in better outcomes for both the fetus and the newborn.

The hospital described the surgery as a significant step forward for the country’s capacity to treat complex fetal conditions and said the successful procedure opens new possibilities for families affected by congenital disorders.

The local medical team included Dr. Maria Estrella Y. Flores, a Maternal-Fetal Medicine specialist; Dr. Jose Francisco Aguilar, a Pediatric Neurosurgeon; and Dr. Joy Ann Lim from the Perinatal Anesthesia division. They were joined by Colombian counterparts Dr. Jorge Hernan Gutierrez, Dr. Juan Esteban Salas Vargas, and Dr. Ancizar de la Peña Silva