Why choose CHOP for fetal surgery

Why choose CHOP for fetal surgery

Fetal surgery is a big decision for your family. At the Center for Fetal Diagnosis and Treatment at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), we have the expertise and experience to perform the most complex surgical procedures while your baby is still in the womb.

Our fetal surgery program is dedicated to meeting the needs of your family as you deal with an uncertain future for your unborn baby. When you're looking for the best fetal surgery center for your unborn baby, think about these factors.

Pioneers in fetal medicine

Members of our team helped establish the field of fetal medicine a few decades ago. They worked with other leading surgeons and researchers in experimental labs to develop the techniques used today. They made sure fetal surgery was safe before it was offered to pregnant mothers.

Our fetal surgery program was created in 1995 and quickly grew into an international leader in fetal care. Our team members have continued to pave the way and have the greatest collective experience in the world.

Experienced multidisciplinary team

If the baby you're carrying needs fetal surgery, the Center for Fetal Diagnosis and Treatment offers one of the most experienced programs in the world. We are experts in fetal repair. More than 2,246 patients have undergone fetal surgery at our center, the largest number of any hospital in the world.

Our team is big. It includes:

  • Fetal surgeons
  • Neurosurgeons
  • Maternal anesthesiologists
  • Fetal anesthesiologists
  • Fetal cardiologists
  • Maternal-fetal medicine specialists
  • Neonatologists
  • Advanced practice operating room nurses
  • Advanced practice labor and delivery nurses
  • Advanced practice neonatal surgery nurses

Our team members have worked together since 1995. This level of ongoing collaboration doesn't exist anywhere else and enhances the care we provide.

Hear from families and clinicians about what sets us apart.

  • Fetal Diagnosis and Fetal Surgery: The World’s Most Experienced Fetal Care Center

    Stephanie, mom: Even though she hadn't been born yet, we wanted her to have the absolute best care possible.

    Lori Howell, DNP: When families call us, they have received devastating news and they call us really for hope. We focus on babies with a birth defect. This is what we do.

    Dr Adzick: As a patient, as a mother carrying a baby with a birth defect, you want the best possible care from an incredibly caring team. That's what we provide.

    Julie Moldenhauer, MD: We have a very large multidisciplinary team that has specialists from pretty much any specialty that you could imagine in conjunction with prenatal diagnosticians, maternal fetal medicine specialists and genetic specialists who are able to provide a very comprehensive and detailed evaluation of the fetus and provide the parents with the best family-centered care that we can, going forward.

    Dr Adzick: We not only do prenatal diagnosis, but we also do, in highly selective circumstances, fetal surgery.

    Julie Moldenhauer, MD: The hope with prenatal surgery is that we can alter the course in a long-term outcome.

    Stephanie: From the very beginning, CHOP offered us hope. They showed us that there was a different way, there was a better way.

    Dr. Adzick: We do our research, we do our investigation because we have an obligation to perform research. Research represents hope.

    Lori Howell, DNP: The Garbose Family Special Delivery Unit was the first birthing unit dedicated exclusively to healthy mothers whose unborn baby has a birth defect.

    Susan Spinner, MSN: The unit was designed so that babies that are born that have birth defects, have accessibility to a very specialized team of doctors and nurses.

    Lori Howell: Every day, I am in awe of what our team does. Families trust us with their lives.

    Susan Spinner: This work that we do is life changing, miracle making work. We love what we do and it's an honor and a privilege to be able to be part of this journey with our patients.

    Stephanie: Each child has the ability to be incredible, just like Miah. No matter what function they come out with, they will be an incredible child.
Transcript Transcript

Coordinated care in one location

Keeping you at ease and feeling supported is important to us. All of your care will be provided in one comfortable, family-centered location. Every detail of our space has been designed with your medical and emotional well-being in mind. This helps improve the health of you and your baby.

  • Our Garbose Family Special Delivery Unit (SDU) is the world’s first birth facility designed for healthy mothers carrying babies with birth defects. You will stay in the SDU before and after fetal surgery. You will stay there again when it is time to deliver your baby. Delivering within a pediatric hospital is a game changer. It gives both you and your baby access to expert care before, during and after birth. The SDU is fully equipped to manage the delicate delivery required after fetal surgery.
  • Our Newborn/Infant Intensive Care Unit (N/IICU) is one of the best in the nation. The N/IICU team has experience caring for babies who have had fetal surgery.
  • CHOP has many long-term follow-up programs to ensure your baby has ongoing care and support as they grow.

Access to top pediatric specialists

Children who have fetal surgery to treat complex birth defects need specialized care after birth. At CHOP, you have direct access to every pediatric subspecialty your child may need as they grow.

CHOP is consistently ranked among the best in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. Your child will receive the best care available in the country from experts in pulmonology, neurology, cardiology, urology, orthopedics, radiology, gastroenterology and nutrition, and more.

Support services for your family

From the moment you become our patient, we surround you with support. Every member of our team is committed to making this experience as easy as possible on your entire family.

We offer many services to help you and your family overcome any barriers to care and cope with your baby's diagnosis and treatment. We can also connect you with additional resources closer to your home.

  • Before you make your decision about fetal surgery, we have a thorough counseling session. We explain every detail of the experience and answer all of your questions.
  • We have a dedicated psychosocial service team. This team includes a clinical psychologist and social workers. They offer emotional support, counseling and other services.
  • Our team works with insurance plans to help families access our services. We also have resources available to assist with travel-related expenses. We will talk with you about your needs.

Following fetal surgery guidelines

Fetal surgery is a very complex procedure that requires special expertise. We stick to strict criteria to determine if patients qualify for fetal intervention. We follow the highest standards for patient safety during fetal surgery.

We follow the guidelines for fetal myelomeningocele (MMC) repair laid out by the MMC Maternal-Fetal Management Task Force. This task force included a member of our team. The guidelines detail what it takes to be an established fetal therapy center. Essentials are proper surgical management, long-term care, counseling and outcomes reporting.

Advancing care through research

Our research continues to advance the field of fetal medicine. Our team members have had their basic and clinical research recognized in many scientific journals.

Our experts co-led the landmark Management of Myelomeningocele Study (MOMS). This study showed that fetal surgery for spina bifida improves mobility and the chances that a child will be able to walk independently. It also reduces the need to divert fluid from the brain. This study continues today, with important follow-up that will help us understand the lasting impact of prenatal repair.