A case of successful fetal therapy for congenital chylothorax by intrapleural injection of OK-432

Background: Pregnancies that are prenatally identified to have fetal anomalies are complex and require expert multidisciplinary care. As many conditions can impact the fetus prenatally and require intervention, an enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) for lower urinary tract obstruction (LUTO) is being evaluated to determine the level of evidenced-based data available. Problem: The percutaneous ultrasound-guided fetal surgery procedure for bladder neck obstruction is the focus for elements of preoperative counseling, intraoperative procedure/risk complications, and postoperative management. Methods: A quality improvement review Squire 2.0 (2000–2020) was undertaken for the percutaneous LUTO fetal surgery shunting (lower urinary tract obstruction), process and procedure which require 2 process pathways, one to evaluate the fetal candidate and a second to treat. This structured review is focused on identifying the process elements to allow the determination of the number of evidenced-based elements that would allow for audit and measurement of the clinical element variance for comparative feedback to the individual surgical provider or surgery center. Interventions: Titles and abstracts were screened to identify potentially relevant articles with priority given to meta-analyses, systematic reviews, randomized controlled studies, nonrandomized controlled studies, reviews, and case series. Results: A series of potential clinical elements for the diagnostic fetal evaluation and for the 3 protocol areas of surgical care for the procedures (pre-, intra-, and postoperative care) are identified using an ERAS-like process. Conclusions: The identified clinical elements have the potential for ERAS-LUTO fetal therapy guideline. Multidisciplinary collaboration (surgeon, anesthesia, nursing, imaging, and laboratory) is required for ERAS quality improvement in the pre-, intra-, and postoperative processes. Process elements in each of the operative areas can be audited, evaluated, compared, and modified/improved.

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Strategies for intra-amniotic administration of fetal therapy in a rabbit model of intrauterine growth restriction

Experimental Biology and Medicine ◽

10.1177/15353702211003508 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 153537022110035

Author(s):

Mari Kinoshita ◽

Fàtima Crispi ◽

Carla Loreiro ◽

Eduard Gratacós ◽

Míriam Illa ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Intrauterine Growth Restriction ◽

Intraperitoneal Injection ◽

Rabbit Model ◽

Osmotic Pump ◽

Growth Restriction ◽

Technical Failure ◽

Fetal Therapy ◽

Amniotic Cavity ◽

Intrauterine Growth ◽

Fetal Survival

Intrauterine growth restriction affects up to 10% of all pregnancies, leading to fetal programming with detrimental consequences for lifelong health. However, no therapeutic strategies have so far been effective to ameliorate these consequences. Our previous study has demonstrated that a single dose of nutrients administered into the amniotic cavity, bypassing the often dysfunctional placenta via intra-amniotic administration, improved survival at birth but not birthweight in an intrauterine growth restriction rabbit model. The aim of this study was to further develop an effective strategy for intra-amniotic fetal therapy in an animal model. Intrauterine growth restriction was induced by selective ligation of uteroplacental vessels on one uterine horn of pregnant rabbits at gestational day 25, and fetuses were delivered by cesarean section on GD30. During the five days of intrauterine growth restriction development, three different methods of intra-amniotic administration were used: continuous intra-amniotic infusion by osmotic pump, multiple intra-amniotic injections, and single fetal intraperitoneal injection. Technical feasibility, capability to systematically reach the fetus, and survival and birthweight of the derived offspring were evaluated for each technique. Continuous intra-amniotic infusion by osmotic pump was not feasible owing to the high occurrence of catheter displacement and amnion rupture, while methods using two intra-amniotic injections and one fetal intraperitoneal injection were technically feasible but compromised fetal survival. Taking into account all the numerous factors affecting intra-amniotic fetal therapy in the intrauterine growth restriction rabbit model, we conclude that an optimal therapeutic strategy with low technical failure and positive fetal impact on both survival and birthweight still needs to be found.

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