Video Library

« Back to Previous Page

YOU ARE WATCHING

Birth of a Breakthrough: Spina Bifida Video - CHOP

en Español

Video Transcript

This is the content

NOW PLAYING: 6 of 12

Post Fetal Repair Surgery: The First Days After Surgery

Post fetal repair surgery for spina bifida, the biggest risk to the healing mother and her unborn child is preterm labor. All precautions are taken to try to prevent preterm labor, including special medication and reduced activity. Mother and fetus are closely monitored in the hospital for several days post fetal repair surgery for spina bifida. After release from the hospital, patients remain close to CHOP, where they receive the remainder of their prenatal care.

  • Print
  • Share

The Birth of a Breakthrough Video explores spina bifida diagnosis, treatment options, delivery and follow-up care at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Experts at CHOP’s Center for Fetal Diagnosis and Treatment have the world’s greatest collective experience in prenatal repair for spina bifida.
 

Videos in this Series

Transcript: Post Fetal Repair Surgery: The First Days After Surgery


Printer Friendly Version

Lori J. Howell, RN: For the first 24 to 48 hours after fetal surgery, really what we're looking at is fetal well-being and assessing for preterm labor.

Mark P. Johnson, MD: In the first few days, keeping the patient from going into preterm labor can be quite challenging. It requires use of several different medications.

Lori J. Howell, RN: Some of these medications have side effects which we need to explain to the parents before the surgery so that they know when they feel like a wet dishrag or their heart rate goes up a little bit or they feel a little weak, that that's a side effect we need to know about, and we can then change the medication accordingly.

Mark P. Johnson, MD: It's important to monitor the patient very carefully, so we do ultrasounds. We do fetal echocardiographic evaluations.

Jack Rychik, MD: We will perform fetal cardiovascular imaging on the day of the surgery itself once mom has recovered, and she's back in her room. And we'll do so for the first day, second and third day.

Martha G. Hudson, MSW: We certainly aim to get the mom out in 4 days, but we are pretty conservative, and if the mom is having any type of postsurgical issues, she will stay in the hospital.

Mark P. Johnson, MD: If things go well, then the moms are discharged but have to remain at restricted activity for weeks after the surgery because of the risks of preterm labor or the risks of membrane separations that could lead to major complications.

Contact Us