Doctors Perform Pioneering Brain Surgery on Fetus to Save Life

Doctors repaired a malformation in the brain of a 34-week-old fetus as part of a clinical trial.
The surgery treated a rare prenatal condition known as vein of Galen malformation that often leads to heart failure, brain injury or death after birth.
The surgery involved guiding a needle through the mother's abdomen and uterus into the fetus's brain to block a blood-filled pocket.
The infant was born healthy, continues to thrive and hasn't required any further treatment or medication.
The breakthrough surgery offers hope for treating other fetal brain conditions and may expand treatment options for high-risk infants.