Prof. Dr. Francesca Russo
A minor modification to the balloon means that no second surgery is required. The balloon is inserted in the same way, but inside there is a small magnetic bead that closes a valve. To deflate the balloon, the expectant mother now simply walks around an MRI scanner. The magnetic field sets the bead in motion, causing the valve to open and the balloon to deflate automatically. After the procedure, doctors use ultrasound to check that the airway is completely clear. In the study, the balloon was successfully deflated in all cases. Thanks to this new ‘smart’ balloon, part of the follow-up care can take place closer to home in future. This makes the process safer and less burdensome for families and healthcare teams.
Prof. Dr Francesca Russo, fetal surgeon at UZ Leuven, says: “This technique makes an existing treatment a lot simpler. We are replacing surgery by a smart balloon that we can deflate using an MRI scanner. This means fewer risks for the baby, less uncertainty for the parents and care that is easier to plan for the team.”
The study was made possible thanks to collaboration between multidisciplinary teams from Leuven and l’hôpital Antoine Béclère AP-HP, together with the developers of the SMART-TO balloon at the University of Strasbourg.
Source: UZ Leuven