Fetal surgery is a new medical field that had its beginnings in 1985. In a pioneering operation, a team of surgeons removed a 23 week old fetus from its mother's uterus, operated to correct a blocked urinary tract, and then returned the fetus to the uterus. Nine weeks later, a healthy baby was born.
Since then, surgeons have performed procedure to repair diaphragmatic hernias and are experimenting on animals to try to correct spina bifida and hydrocephalus.
It has been observed that surgery on fetuses does not leave any scars, although the reason is not known.
It is hoped that surgeons can perform craniofacial surgery before birth to correct condition such as cleft lip without leaving scars.
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