Improving outcomes for myelomeningocele (MMC) fetuses

Improving outcomes for myelomeningocele (MMC) fetuses repaired prenatally using a minimally invasive technique and a human umbilical cord (HUC) patch to repair the defect.

We are pleased to inform you that The Fetal Center at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital is enrolling patients for fetoscopic myelomeningocele repair using a cryopreserved HUC patch to repair fetal defects. The Fetal Center’s team received FDA and IRB approval for a pilot trial entitled “Early Feasibility Study: Fetoscopic NEOX Cord 1K® Myelomeningocele (MMC) Repair”.

The Fetal Center’s fetoscopic approach to spina bifida repair using the human umbilical cord patch has culminated from over a decade of basic science research. The lead investigator, Dr. Ramesha Papanna, rigorously tested numerous patch materials and techniques to obtain water-tight closure of the defect and to minimize scar formation and inflammation at the repair site. His work has led to a greater understanding of what makes the HUC patch so uniquely beneficial in reducing post-natal complications and improvements in neurological outcomes. Through use of the fetoscopic technique, the benefit to the mother is overwhelmingly favorable towards possibly attempting a vaginal birth. For more information about the study, please contact the study’s Principal Investigator, Ramesha Papanna, MD, MPH, at ramesha.papanna@uth.tmc.edu or at 832-500-6423, or the clinicaltrials.gov website at Clinical Trials.