Surgeons in Abu Dhabi perform breakthrough surgery on Colombian fetus with spina bifida

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Although the procedure is not new, it was a first for the region. (Burjeel Medical City)
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Updated 16 June 2023
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Surgeons in Abu Dhabi perform breakthrough surgery on Colombian fetus with spina bifida

  • Team from Burjeel Medical City provide life-changing treatment free of charge
  • Hospital gave ‘a ray of hope for our baby,’ mother Valentina Rodriguez says

DUBAI: The number of reported cases of spina bifida in the Gulf region and around the world is on the increase, but many doctors believe this is due to increased awareness and better diagnostic methods, rather than a spike in the condition.

Spina bifida is a birth defect that occurs when bones forming the spine do not develop properly, leading to the spinal cord being left exposed to the amniotic fluid — the liquid that surrounds the unborn child in the womb — and resulting in a permanent disability.

No one wants to be told their baby is going to have anything other than a perfect life, but as with all things in the medical world, knowledge is power.

The increase in early diagnosis means there is a greater chance to improve the child’s life through prenatal surgery, and that is precisely what happened in Abu Dhabi this month.

Although the procedure is not new, it was a first for the region.

The operation was led by Dr. Mandeep Singh, a consultant in maternal and fetal medicine at Burjeel Medical City hospital.

He explained that before the breakthrough in prenatal surgery there were other procedures to treat the condition but they were more risky.

“We had to wait for the babies to be born. And then once the babies are born, the spinal cord needs to be closed within the first 24 hours, otherwise, there is the risk of infection, and that infection could go to the brain and cause meningitis, which is a very serious condition,” he said.

An initial study to see if an in utero procedure was possible was conducted in 2003.

“After 12 years of research, results showed that if you repair the defect in the womb, there is two times more power in the lower limbs and 1.5 times more likely to have reduced need for a shunt,” Singh said.

Spina bifida can be caused by many things. Although rare, it can be genetic but most of the time there are multiple factors preventing the spinal cord from closing, including a deficiency of folic acid (vitamin B), which is important for a healthy pregnancy.

If left untreated, the condition can have life-altering effects on the child.

“When the spinal cord is left exposed to the amniotic fluid, it causes damage. Most of the time, the centers that are controlled by the lower part of the spinal cord, or bowel and bladder, are severely damaged.

“That means these babies may not be able to walk or run. They may in the initial part of their life, but as the upper part of the body gets heavier, they are unable to walk.

“And most of them are wheelchair-bound. Or if they can walk, it is only with support. So it’s a pretty debilitating disorder if not treated,” Singh said.

He and his team successfully performed spinal correction surgery on the unborn child of a Colombian couple.

For Jason Gutierrez and Valentina Rodriguez being told their baby had spina bifida was life-changing, not least because it meant they had to fly half way round the world, leaving everything they knew behind so she could undergo the surgery.

“When I found out my baby had spina bifida, I felt really sad,” Rodriguez said. “I am a nurse and I’ve seen moms with babies with disabilities and never thought this could be a possibility for me.”

In Colombia, couples expecting babies with spina bifida have only two options: wait for the child to be born and then operate, or terminate the pregnancy.

“As time went by and no real solution came about, by miracle we heard about a center in Abu Dhabi which was able to perform the surgery immediately and at no cost to us,” Rodriguez said.

“We decided to resign from our jobs, leave our families and home and travel all the way here for our baby.”

It was not an easy decision to make, but Rodriguez said her family gave her their full support.

“My family was really sad, but on the other hand they were really happy that we were given this opportunity and a ray of hope for our baby. In Colombia, there was no solution.

“I was diagnosed during the 20th week and it could have been spotted since the 11th week, so I suspect if I stayed in Colombia, no action would have been taken and the baby would have disabilities and complications,” she said.

According to Singh, between two and four babies per 10,000 are diagnosed with the condition and the numbers are rising. While there is no clear reason for the increase, the doctor thinks it is down to more diagnoses, especially in the GCC region.

“Medical facilities are increasing so the statistics are increasing, because more people are being aware of the condition and getting the diagnosis they need,” he said.

Prenatal surgery was not without risk, however, to the baby and the mother, Singh said.

“Since this operation requires a cut to be taken from the womb, the biggest risk is scar rupture. Because this is a scar on the upper part of the womb, if she were to go into labor, there is a higher chance that the scar will give way. If the scar gives way in the pregnancy, it’s not only dangerous for the mother, but the baby will die or will be born with severe brain damage,” he said.

But Rodriguez was not thinking about the risk to herself before undergoing the surgery, which took place just two days after she arrived in Abu Dhabi.

“I wanted everything to go okay for the baby,” she said. “My preparation was more mental and spiritual. The center helped with visa arrangements, the flight tickets and the cost of the surgery was covered as well. Everything from food to accommodation has been provided. Otherwise there was no way we could afford it.”

A team of 10 people, including four surgeons, were involved in the procedure. While Singh is an expert in maternal–fetal medicine, the repair to the baby’s spine was carried out by a neurosurgeon.

Singh said there were many hospitals in East Asia, Africa, North America and Europe that could perform the procedure but Burjeel Medical City was a center for the Gulf region.

“There is a vast geographical area where this procedure is not done. Our center now provides solutions for parents who are seeking help in the region,” he said.

“We promise to make our results available to every prospective parent who comes here, because that’s the best way of giving confidence to prospective parents. And in medicine, there is nothing to hide. The outcomes have to be open and transparent for people to trust you.”

Rodriguez is expected to have her baby in Abu Dhabi in August. She does not know how long she and her husband will stay in the country but said they would remain as long as it took to ensure her baby was healthy and safe.


38 Palestinians killed in new shootings near food distribution centers, medics say

Updated 57 min 54 sec ago
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38 Palestinians killed in new shootings near food distribution centers, medics say

KHAN YOUNIS: Gaza’s Health Ministry says 38 Palestinians have been killed in new shootings in areas of food distribution centers in the south of the territory.
The toll Monday was the deadliest yet in the near-daily shootings that have taken place as thousands of Palestinians move through Israeli military-controlled areas to reach the food centers. Witnesses say Israeli troops open fire in an attempt to control the crowds.
There was no immediate comment by the Israeli military on Monday’s deaths. It has said in previous instances that troops fired warning shots at what it calls suspects approaching their positions.


Erdogan tells Putin that Israel threatens regional security

Updated 16 June 2025
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Erdogan tells Putin that Israel threatens regional security

ISTANBUL: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Israel of threatening security in the Middle East, which he said cannot tolerate another war, in a phone call with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Monday, his office said.
Erdogan was quoted saying: “The spiral of violence that began with Israel’s attacks on Iran has put the security of the entire region at risk, (and) that the lawless attitude of the (Israeli premier Benjamin) Netanyahu government poses a clear threat to the international system, and that the region cannot tolerate a new war.”


UN rights chief decries ‘horrifying’ suffering in Gaza and urges leaders to pressure Israel, Hamas

Updated 16 June 2025
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UN rights chief decries ‘horrifying’ suffering in Gaza and urges leaders to pressure Israel, Hamas

  • The UN human rights chief says Israel’s warfare in Gaza is inflicting “horrifying, unconscionable suffering” on Palestinians
  • olker Türk made the comments at the opening of the latest Human Rights Council session on Monday

GENEVA: The UN human rights chief said Israel’s warfare in Gaza is inflicting “horrifying, unconscionable suffering” on Palestinians and urged government leaders on Monday to exert pressure on Israel’s government and the militant group Hamas to end it.
Volker Türk made the comments at the opening of the latest Human Rights Council session on Monday, in a broad address that also raised concerns about escalating conflict between Iran and Israel, the fallout from US tariffs, and China’s human rights record — alongside wars and conflict in places like Sudan and Ukraine.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, who has regularly spoken out about bloodshed in Gaza and called for the release of Israeli hostages held by armed Palestinian militants, used some of his most forceful words yet to highlight the Mideast violence.
“Israel’s means and methods of warfare are inflicting horrifying, unconscionable suffering on Palestinians in Gaza,” Türk told the 47-member-country body, which Israeli authorities have regularly accused of anti-Israel bias. The Trump administration has kept the United States, Israel’s top ally, out of the council proceedings.
Israel’s military campaign has killed over 55,300 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. It says that women and children make up most of the dead but it does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.
“The facts speak for themselves. Everyone in government needs to wake up to what is happening in Gaza,” Türk said. “All those with influence must exert maximum pressure on Israel and Hamas, to put an end to this unbearable suffering.”
The rights chief noted an increase in civilian casualties in Ukraine, nearly 3 1/2 years after Russia’s full-scale invasion. He also denounced executions without a fair trial and “wide-scale sexual violence, including against children” in Sudan.
Without mentioning President Donald Trump by name, Türk likened the US tariffs he imposed in April to “a high-stakes poker game, with the global economy as the bank.”
“But the shockwaves of a trade war will hit Least Developed Countries with the force of a tsunami,” he said, warning of a potentially “devastating” impact on exporters in Asia, and the prospect of higher costs for food, health care and education in places.
Türk expressed concerns about US deportations of non-nationals, including to third countries, and called on authorities to respect the right to peaceful assembly.
The council session, which has been shortened by 2 1/2 days because of funding issues at the UN, is set to run through July 9. The Geneva-based council is the UN’s top human rights body.


Iran says parliament is preparing bill to leave nuclear non-proliferation treaty

Updated 16 June 2025
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Iran says parliament is preparing bill to leave nuclear non-proliferation treaty

DUBAI: Iranian parliamentarians are preparing a bill that could push Tehran toward exiting the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty the foreign ministry said on Monday, while reiterating Tehran’s official stance against developing nuclear weapons.
“In light of recent developments, we will take an appropriate decision. Government has to enforce parliament bills but such a proposal is just being prepared and we will coordinate in the later stages with parliament,” the ministry’s spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said, when asked at a press conference about Tehran potentially leaving the NPT.
The NPT, which Iran ratified in 1970, guarantees countries the right to pursue civilian nuclear power in return for requiring them to forego atomic weapons and cooperate with the UN nuclear watchdog, the IAEA.

Israel began bombing Iran last week, saying Tehran was on the verge of building a nuclear bomb. Iran has always said its nuclear program is peaceful, although the IAEA declared last week that Tehran was in violation of its NPT obligations.
President Masoud Pezeshkian reiterated on Monday that nuclear weapons were against a religious edict by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Iran’s state media said that no decision on quitting the NPT had yet been made by parliament, while a parliamentarian said that the proposal was at the initial stages of the legal process.
Baghaei said that developments such as Israel’s attack “naturally affect the strategic decisions of the state,” noting that Israel’s attack had followed the IAEA resolution, which he suggested was to blame.
“Those voting for the resolution prepared the ground for the attack,” Baghaei said.
Israel, which never joined the NPT, is widely assumed by regional governments to possess nuclear weapons, although it does not confirm or deny this.
“The Zionist regime is the only possessor of weapons of mass destruction in the region,” Baghaei said.


Israel says deports last three Gaza flotilla activists to Jordan

Updated 16 June 2025
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Israel says deports last three Gaza flotilla activists to Jordan

JERUSALEM: Israel said Monday it deported the last three remaining activists from an aid flotilla that attempted to reach the war-torn Gaza Strip last week.
“The last three participants remaining from the “Selfie Yacht” (flotilla) were transferred this morning to Jordan via the Allenby Crossing,” the foreign ministry said in a statement, adding they included one Dutch and two French nationals.