It combines the talents of specialists in pediatric surgery, genetics, obstetrics/perinatology, radiology, nursing, and neonatal medicine.
In 1980, Dr. Michael R. Harrison and research colleagues at UCSF developed the techniques for open fetal surgery using animal models.
Then in 1981, Harrison conducted the first open fetal surgery on a fetus to correct a dangerously advanced urinary tract obstruction.
The Fetal Treatment Center is also currently investigating determine whether steroids might be effective in helping fetuses with large microcystic Congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation (CCAM).
Experimental research continues in the laboratory on a variety of potentially curable fetal diseases and the development of new smaller and better minimally invasive techniques.