Antenatally Diagnosed Surgical Conditions: Fetus As Our Patient

Abstract

In today's era of improved antenatal care and screening modalities (3D high-resolution fetal ultrasound, fetal magnetic resonance imaging, fetal echocardiography, maternal serum markers and fetal blood sampling), an early diagnosis of surgical fetal abnormalities is routinely possible. A thorough knowledge about the incidence of such defects, the means of detection and evaluation, the scope of fetal intervention, postnatal management and long-term outcomes of common surgical conditions diagnosed antenatally is essential. This knowledge would not only help in proper patient care and management but also to ensure appropriate counselling of the expectant parents. This article highlights the fetal anomalies which are amenable to some form of fetal intervention from a pediatric surgical perspective as also those which can be treated after birth.

Keywords: Antenatal diagnosis; Congenital; Fetal intervention; Fetal surgical anomalies; Malformations.