Fetal

 Renal agenesis (REE-nall ay-JEN-eh-sis) is a condition in which one or both kidneys fail to form while a baby is developing in the womb. When only one kidney forms, the condition is known as unilateral renal agenesis. When neither kidney forms, it’s known as bilateral renal agenesis. Unilateral renal agenesis occurs in about 1 in 2,000 births. Bilateral renal agenesis is more rare, occurring in about 1 in 4,000 births. Both conditions are about three times more common among boys than among girls.

In 2016, our center performed our first fetal repair of myelomeningocele (MMC), the most severe form of spina bifida. Led by a team of medical experts in the field of fetal diagnosis and therapy, our program has grown to become a high volume MMC fetal surgery center. As of January 2020, the Midwest Fetal Care Center has evaluated more than 52 women from across the Upper Midwest for fetal MMC repair; 37 of these patients met fetal surgery criteria, and 33 chose to undergo open fetal MMC repair.

The Midwest Fetal Care Center (MWFCC) performed its first fetoscopic laser ablation (FLA) for twin-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) in 2008. Led by a team of top medical experts in the field of maternal-fetal medicine and fetal diagnosis and therapy, our program has become one of the highest volume treatment centers for TTTS in the nation and has exceptional outcomes.

The Midwest Fetal Care Center (MWFCC), a collaboration between Allina Health and Children’s Minnesota, brings together a multidisciplinary team of highly trained maternal-fetal medicine experts from Allina Health and pediatric and neonatal specialists from Children’s Minnesota. Open since 2008, the MWFCC is a national referral center and regional leader in fetal diagnosis, fetal intervention and comprehensive fetal care for unborn babies with abnormalities.

Due to the recent developments and health safety precautions surrounding COVID-19, this event has been cancelled.

Fetal lower urinary tract obstruction (LUTO) is a condition that occurs when the baby’s urethra, the tube that transports urine from the bladder to the outside of the body during urination (Figure 1), becomes partially or completely blocked.

Kare 11 shares the touching story of Alexa Mendoza, a toddler who was one of only about a dozen babies in the world to have survived a rare open fetal surgery to remove a tumor while still in her mother’s womb. Children’s Minnesota is one of just a few hospitals across the country that is able to perform this complex and risky procedure.