Advances in fetal surgery

Fetal surgery, until recently, only had a role for those fetuses with a very poor prognosis who were likely to die without intervention. With advances in imaging, endoscopic techniques, anaesthesia and novel interventions, fetal surgery is becoming a realistic option in some conditions with less severe prognoses where the aim is now to improve quality of life rather than simply allow survival. This article uses examples that outline the field's embryogenesis and point to its promising infancy and future.