KUCHING, Oct 2 — Sarawak General Hospital (SGH) has successfully performed the nation’s first intrauterine (foetal) surgery for spina bifida, marking a historic milestone in Malaysia’s medical field.
The procedure, carried out on September 22, involved repairing an open spinal defect, known as myelomeningocele, on a baby while still in the mother’s womb.
Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian, in congratulating the hospital, said the complex surgery was led by SGH specialists: Dr Tan Lee Na (Maternal Foetal Medicine specialist), Dr Low Peh Hueh (Neurosurgeon), Dr Teo Shu Ching (Anaesthesiologist), and Dr Amita (Neonatologist).
“All four underwent training in Australia last year to prepare for this breakthrough procedure,” Dr Sim said in a Facebook post yesterday.
He added that the surgery was supervised by a team of experts from Australia: Prof Dr Sailesh Kumar (Maternal Foetal Medicine specialist), Dr Amelia Jardim (Neurosurgeon), and Dr Aled Hapgood (Anaesthetist).
Among those assisting were SGH doctors Dr Rafaie Amin, Dr Fara Bashar, Dr Tuscianthi Tata, Dr Ng Pei Meng, Dr Chng Kar Heng, and Dr Nasuha, along with nurses, assistant medical officers, hospital support staff, and a facility readiness team.
The patient, a mother in her third pregnancy who was referred from Kuantan at 26 weeks, and her unborn baby are both recovering well following the operation.
According to Dr Sim, intrauterine surgery for spina bifida, performed between 19 and 26 weeks of pregnancy, may improve the neurological outcomes of the child, reduce the need for walking devices, and lower the risk of hydrocephalus.
“We pray for the successful full-term birth of the baby at around 40 weeks (of pregnancy),” he said.
Spina bifida is a birth defect in which there is incomplete closing of the spine and the membranes around the spinal cord occurs during early development in pregnancy
Complications from spina bifida, if untreated, include poor ability to walk and problems with bladder or bowel control. — The Borneo Post
