Encouraging early clinical experience with deliberately delayed temporary fetoscopic tracheal occlusion for the prenatal treatment of life-threatening right and left congenital diaphragmatic hernias.

Objective: In order to assess the effect of deliberately delayed percutaneous fetoscopic tracheal occlusion on survival of fetuses with life-threatening congenital diaphragmatic hernia.

Methods: Eight fetuses with life-threatening congenital diaphragmatic hernia underwent fetoscopic tracheal balloon occlusion between 29 + 0 and 32 + 4 weeks of gestation. Delayed occlusion was chosen in order to minimize potentially negative pulmonary effects from premature delivery as a result of fetal surgery. In addition, we wanted to become able to provide all available postnatal intensive care treatment means in these patients.

Results: Six of the 8 fetuses survived to discharge from hospital.

Conclusions: Delayed fetoscopic tracheal balloon occlusion may be rewarded with lung growth sufficient to allow survival of fetuses with life-threatening congenital diaphragmatic hernia.