Surgery for Spina Bifida

The doctors perform the surgery on the fetus in prenatal surgery for spina bifida. The surgeons generally execute the procedure by exposing the uterus. However, in some cases, the patients may also undergo minimally invasive surgery. You may undergo the following steps during the surgery:

• The doctor advises you to visit the hospital on the morning of surgery with overnight fasting.
• The staff guides you to the changing room and provides you a gown for changing.
• Your surgeon and the anesthesia expert may meet you to evaluate your health.
• Once everything is fine, the staff will take you into the operation theatre.
• The surgeon inserts an epidural catheter to provide relief from pain after the surgery.
• The anesthesiologist will give you general anesthesia that will make you sleep throughout the surgery.
• The surgeon then exposes the uterus by making an incision on the abdomen. The incision is probably wider as compared to that done during the caesarian surgery.
• The surgeon opens the uterus to get excess to the fetus.
• The surgeon examines the abnormality in the spine and closes the spine.
• The surgeon then closes the uterus and the abdomen and places a bandage on the wound.
• The staff then sifts you to the ICU for monitoring your vital parameters.

You may feel some pain once you wake up. However, it is manageable through medications and epidural catheters. Once your vital parameters are stable, the staff shifts you to the general ward. You need to stay at the hospital for around one week. After discharge, you need to take good care of your health and visit the hospital for follow-up evaluation.