First Mom and Baby to Undergo In-Utero Fetal Surgery in Utah reunited with Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital

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 then was 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. Photo: IHC.

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 reunited with her caregivers this morning to celebrate this successful Utah medical milestone.

Fetal surgery is a procedure performed on an unborn baby (fetus) in the uterus (in utero) to help improve the long-term outcome of children with specific birth defects. An incision is made in the lower abdomen to expose the uterus which is then opened using a special stapling device to prevent bleeding. Once the surgical repair of the fetus is completed, the uterus followed by the maternal abdominal wall is closed.

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 then was 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 complex, often life-saving surgery is available at only a few hospitals nationwide and now includes the Utah Fetal Center.

“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 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.

Now a year later, Mom and baby were on hand to celebrate the milestone along with the caregivers and surgeons who helped with her care.