ABSTRACT
This chapter presents general principles of fetal surgery, methods of fetal access, diseases that are amenable to fetal intervention. Fetal surgery is considered for life-threatening or severely debilitating anomalies where fetal surgery shows promise of improving outcomes after thorough investigation in animal models. Fetal surgery does not adversely affect fertility or the ability to carry future pregnancies. Fetal ultrasound is the cornerstone of prenatal diagnosis and is a fundamental component of any fetal intervention. Fetal ultrasound was used to stratify the severity of congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH). There are three general methods of accessing the fetus: percutaneous access, minimally invasive fetoscopy, and open hysterotomy. Congenital pulmonary airway malformation (CPAM) is characterized by an overgrowth of respiratory bronchioles with associated cyst formation. Sacrococcygeal teratoma (SCT) is a rare tumor that is increasingly diagnosed in utero, allowing for greater understanding of the prenatal natural history of the disease.
