PCMC announces PH's first successful open fetal surgery

The Philippine Children’s Medical Center (PCMC) has announced that the country's first fetal surgery for myelomeningocele was a success.

In a Facebook post, the PCMC reported that the surgery performed by its team assisted by experts from Colombia took place last March 26, 2025 at the PCMC Perinatal Center.

"This important medical achievement shows PCMC’s strong commitment to providing world-class, life-saving medical care for every Filipino child," it said in a statement.

According to Mayo Clinic, myelomeningocele is the most serious type of Spina bifida, a condition when the spine and spinal cord do not form properly.

It is a type of defect in the neural tube, the structure in a developing embryo that later becomes the baby's brain and spinal cord and the tissues that enclose them.

Myelomeningocele is also known as open spina bifida, where the spinal canal is open along several vertebrae in the lower or middle back.

It forms a sac on the baby's back, as part of the spinal cord, including its protective covering and spinal nerves, push through the opening at birth.

Tissues and nerves usually are exposed, making the baby prone to dangerous infections. Myelomeningocele may cause loss of movement in the legs, and bladder and bowel dysfunction. —VAL/KG, GMA Integrated News