A team of American surgeons performed a ground-breaking brain operation on an infant while it was still in the womb to treat a rare blood artery abnormality inside the brain. According to CNN, a procedure was carried out at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Boston Children’s Hospital to correct the “Venus of Galen malformation,” a rare brain condition. The condition is brought on by improper maturation of the blood artery that carries blood from the brain to the heart. The anomaly stresses the heart and veins by allowing too much blood to flow through them, which could set off a series of health problems.
Baby Denver was still developing properly inside her mother’s womb when physicians discovered the unusual blood vessel abnormalities in the brain
“Tremendous brain injuries and immediate heart failure after birth are the two big challenges,” Dr. Darren Orbach, a radiologist at Boston Children’s Hospital and expert in treating VOGM, told CNN. He described the condition in detail, stating that in most cases, newborns are treated using a catheter to insert small coils to reduce blood flow. The treatment, nevertheless, often takes place too late. “Despite advancements in care, “50 to 60 percent of all babies with this condition will get very sick immediately. And for those, it looks like there’s about a 40 percent mortality rate. About half of the infants that survive experience severe neurological and cognitive issues,” Orbach said.
According to CBS News, Baby Denver was still developing properly inside her mother’s womb when physicians discovered the unusual blood vessel abnormalities in the brain during a routine scan. These infants typically pass away due to heart failure or cerebral damage. Denver’s heart was damaged, and the irregularity had gotten big enough to be potentially harmful. Because of this, a group from Boston Children’s and Brigham was able to fix her abnormality while she was still in the womb at 34 weeks of pregnancy. They accomplished this using ultrasound guidance, a needle similar to one used in an amniocentesis, and small coils that were placed directly inside the aberrant blood arteries to block blood flow.
According to Boston Children’s Hospital, Vein of Galen malformations (VOGMs) are rare blood vessel abnormalities that can develop inside the brain. The blood flow is slowed in VOGM because irregularly shaped arteries in the brain interact with veins directly rather than through capillaries. As a result, a rush of blood with high pressure enters the veins. This increased pressure in the veins could have a number of negative effects.