Robotic Fetal Surgery

Spina bifida results from an incomplete enclosure of the spinal cord; the spinal cord protrudes through an opening in the vertebrae.  This can be repaired after birth, but that does not restore the normal function of the spinal cord in the affected area.  Offering a better solution, surgical engineers in London and Leuven (Belgium) developed a robotic instrument that has a highly flexible probe and a camera with laser and ultrasound appliances for imaging, and two arms for placing a patch or gel over the gap in the fetuses’ spine. MORE

Image Credit:  The Guardian