April 14, 2022 – One year after a specialized medical team at Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital and University of Utah Health performed the first in-utero fetal surgery in the state of Utah – the young patient and her family will reunite with her caregivers to celebrate this successful Utah medical milestone.
The complex, often life-saving surgery is available at only a few hospitals nationwide and now includes the Utah Fetal Center. The procedure is performed only by specially trained pediatric surgeons, with extensive planning and care for the mother and unborn child. Fetal surgeries are a game-changer in expert care that can significantly improve health outcomes for newborns.
“The surgery is so complex that only a handful of hospitals in the country can perform it,” said Stephen Fenton, MD, a pediatric surgeon with University of Utah Health and Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital and director of Utah Fetal Center. “We now have the partnership, expertise, and facilities to perform these fetal surgeries here in Utah, so families don’t have to travel across the country to access this innovative procedure.”
The fetal surgery is made possible through a partnership between the University of Utah Health and Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital.
Alisha Keyworth of Victor, Idaho, and her unborn baby were the first to undergo the surgery one year ago, on April 6, 2021. During an ultrasound, doctors discovered her fetus had Spina Bifida, a condition that leaves an area of the spine open and nerves exposed.
At the newly created Utah Fetal Center, doctors performed surgery on the fetus to address the anomaly between 24-25 weeks of gestation. The fetal spine was then able to heal as part of its natural development. A month after her surgery Keyworth needed an emergency c-section and gave birth to her daughter Abigail, who is now 11 months old.
The procedure and later, the birth of the child, take place at University of Utah Hospital. After the child is born, the infant is taken to Primary Children’s Hospital, which is connected by a sky bridge. The infant receives care at the Primary Children’s newborn intensive care unit before going home.
“I’m so excited to celebrate the one-year milestone of Abigail’s surgery, and to see her doing so well. I still can’t believe what a miracle it is to have this type of surgery available and not have to travel across the country to get it,” said Keyworth. “Abigail now has a better shot at a healthier, happier life because of this procedure.”
Fetal surgery is part of Intermountain Healthcare’s “Primary Promise” to create the nation’s model health system for children. This multi-faceted plan and investment of at least $500 million in children’s health will be shared by Intermountain Healthcare and community philanthropic support through an emerging campaign organized by Intermountain Foundation.