Zeitschrift für Geburtshilfe und Neonatologie
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Over the past two decades the diagnosis of life threatening congenital malformations has evolved rapidly. Sophisticated and powerful new imaging and sampling techniques have stripped the veil of mystery from the once secretive fetus. Early detection and close follow-up of the fetus with congenital malformations have allowed us to define their natural history, determine the clinical features that affect clinical outcome, and plan management approaches to improve prognosis. Fetal surgical intervention is the logical culmination of the progress in fetal diagnosis. The purpose of this article is to describe the current techniques and recent advances in prenatal diagnosis and fetal intervention of severe congenital malformation. ⋯ Fetal surgical therapy for severe congenital malformations may improve the outcome of selected patients. The development of FETENDO will in all probability reduce the importance of open fetal surgery in the future.