Maternal-fetal care
Maternal-fetal practitioners care for you during pregnancy, labor and after birth. Their priority is ensuring you and your baby are as healthy as possible throughout the entire experience. They also provide specialized high-risk care as well, should you need it.
Maternal-fetal medicine specialists in Dallas
The maternal-fetal medicine specialists at Medical City Children’s Hospital offer advanced fetal care with the full range of congenital (present at birth) disorders.
Our Fetal Care Center is home to world-renowned fetal surgeons with expertise in developing nationally recognized, pioneering surgical techniques. From minimally invasive procedures to open fetal surgery, our skilled doctors can intervene in even the most serious situations.
Compassionate maternal-fetal care
As the only healthcare system in North Texas to include a full-service children's, adult and specialized women's hospital on the same campus, our world-renowned specialists are able to provide patients of all ages with comprehensive care.
At the Medical City Women’s Hospital and Medical City Children’s Hospital, moms and babies are cherished and protected. Our Level IV Maternal Designation from the Texas Department of State Health Services indicates we provide the highest level of maternity care available. Additionally, our Level IV neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) provide the highest levels of care to the most medically fragile infants and pediatric patients.
Fetal surgery and fetal intervention
Technological advancements have allowed us to know more about your baby’s development in the womb and have greatly improved our ability to provide complex, high-end care for a growing number of congenital anomalies. The Fetal Care Center at Medical City Children’s Hospital is one of only a handful of centers in the world capable of performing the full range of fetal surgeries and interventions. We provide leading-edge treatment for the most vulnerable patients with congenital birth defects.
Moms who receive a diagnosis that their unborn child has a complex birth abnormality can get advanced treatment through fetal intervention or fetal surgery at the Fetal Care Center at Medical City Children’s Hospital. Our patients come from all over the U.S. because their parents trust in the competence of our surgeons, the compassion of our dedicated care teams and the capabilities of our world-class facilities.
With every fetal surgery or intervention we perform, our goal is to improve outcomes or save a baby’s life. From minimally invasive, ultrasound-guided and laser procedures to complex, open fetal surgery, your baby is in good hands with our maternal-fetal medicine (MFM) specialists and fetal surgeons.
Fetal Care Center specialists will work with you and your referring physician to develop a personalized treatment plan for your unborn baby, including total transfer of obstetrical care if needed, as well as navigation through our Maternal-Fetal Institute.
Fetoscopic surgery
Fetal surgeons at Medical City Dallas use fetoscopic surgery to treat unborn babies diagnosed with congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH), spina bifida, twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS), bladder outlet obstruction (BOO) and other severe and potentially life-threatening conditions. Fetoscopic surgical procedures our specialists offer include:
- Bipolar cautery for monoamniotic twin reversed arterial perfusion sequence (TRAP)
- Devascularization of chorioangioma
- Fetal thoracoscopy for cystic congenital pulmonary airway malformation (CPAM)
- Laser ablation of posterior urethral valves in BOO
- Laser bronchotomy for unilateral bronchial atresia
- Laser laryngotomy for congenital high airway obstruction syndrome (CHAOS)
- Release of amniotic band syndrome (ABS)
- Release of cord entanglement in monoamniotic twins
- Placement of vesicostomy for BOO
Ultrasound-guided fetal interventions
Ultrasound guidance offers surgeons the ability to perform minimally invasive fetal interventions. This advanced care provides treatment for a variety of congenital anomalies. Ultrasound-guided fetal interventions offered at Medical City Dallas include:
- Amnioport to maintain amniotic fluid volume in fetuses with low amniotic fluid due to lower urinary tract obstruction or fetal renal abnormalities
- Aortic balloon valvuloplasty for aortic stenosis/evolving hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS)
- Interstitial laser devascularization
- Bronchopulmonary sequestration
- Chorioangioma
- Epignathus
- Hybrid congenital pulmonary airway malformation (CPAM)
- Sacrococcygeal teratoma
- Intrauterine blood transfusion
- rH isoimmunization
- Radiofrequency ablation for monochorionic twins with life-threatening anomaly in one twin
- Radiofrequency ablation for twin reversed arterial perfusion sequence (TRAP)
- Thoracentesis for fetal hydrothorax (FHT)
- Thoraco-amniotic shunting for FHT and CPAM
- Vesicoamniotic shunting for bladder outlet obstruction (BOO)
- Vesicocentesis for BOO
Open fetal surgery
During open fetal surgery, skilled surgeons open mom’s uterus through an incision in the abdomen to provide surgical treatment for congenital anomalies, including spina bifida. The surgery is performed while your baby remains in utero, with the goal of keeping your baby in the womb and maintaining your pregnancy for as long as possible. Open fetal surgeries performed at Medical City Dallas include:
- Pacemaker placement for complete heart block
- Repair fetal myelomeningocele
- Resection of congenital pulmonary airway malformation (CPAM)
- Resection of pericardial teratoma
- Resection of sacrococcygeal teratoma (SCT)
Ex-utero intrapartum treatment (EXIT procedures)
EXIT procedures are performed as part of the delivery process. Your baby will continue to receive oxygen and nutrients from mom’s placenta as the necessary surgery is performed. EXIT procedures performed by fetal surgeons at Medical City Dallas include:
- Exit-to-airway
- Cervical teratoma
- Epignathus
- Lymphangioma
- Micrognathia
- Transthoracic retrograde intubation EXIT (TRI-EXIT)
- EXIT-to-cardiopulmonary bypass
- Hypoplastic left heart with intact atrial septum
- EXIT-to-extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (EXIT-to-ECMO)
- Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH)
- EXIT-to-pacemaker
- Complete heart block
- EXIT-to-resection
- Bronchogenic cyst
- Congenital pulmonary airway malformation (CPAM)
- Sacrococcygeal teratoma
- EXIT-to-separation
- Conjoined twins (parasitic twin)
ECMO/mechanical support
Medical City Dallas is equipped to treat the most medically fragile infants. Our advanced treatments include extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), a heart-lung support system often used for babies who need a higher level of care. The goal of ECMO is to provide the oxygen that a baby’s body needs and can’t yet make on its own. ECMO may also be used after surgery to aid the healing process.
A large team of experienced caregivers is required to perform ECMO therapy. To ensure the best possible outcomes, our dedicated specialists combine their skills and expertise with compassion and a true desire to care for each child like family. Medical City Children’s Hospital holds a Distinguished Center of Excellence certification from the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO), the world’s largest registry of ECMO centers
Why choose our Fetal Care Center?
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