• Michael A Belfort, Oluyinka O Olutoye, Darrell L Cass, Olutoyin A Olutoye, Christopher I Cassady, Amy R Mehollin-Ray, Alireza A Shamshirsaz, Stephanie M Cruz, Timothy C Lee, David G Mann, Jimmy Espinoza, Stephen E Welty, Caraciolo J Fernandes, and Rodrigo Ruano.
• Texas Children's Fetal Center and the Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Surgery, Anesthesiology, and Radiology, and the Section of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.
• Obstet Gynecol. 2017 Jan 1; 129 (1): 20-29.

ObjectiveTo evaluate feasibility and initial outcomes of fetoscopic tracheal occlusion for severe diaphragmatic hernia compared with a historical cohort who had not received fetal tracheal occlusion.MethodsOutcomes in a prospective observational cohort who underwent fetoscopic tracheal occlusion for severe fetal left diaphragmatic hernia without associated anomalies were compared with our historical nontreated cohort of matched fetuses of similar severity. Fetuses were classified using the same ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging methodology-prospectively in the fetoscopic tracheal occlusion group and retrospectively in the historical nontreated cohort. Obstetric and postnatal outcomes were evaluated and compared.ResultsBetween January 2004 and June 2015, 218 fetuses with diaphragmatic hernia were evaluated. Twenty (9%) fetuses had severe left diaphragmatic hernia (lung-head ratio 1.0 or less and liver herniation), of which 9 of 20 were managed without tracheal occlusion. Eleven were offered the procedure and in 10, it was successful. Mean (±standard deviation) gestational age was 27.9±1.1 weeks at attempted balloon placement, 34.1±1.1 weeks at removal, and 35.3±2.2 weeks at delivery. One patient required an ex utero intrapartum treatment procedure at delivery to remove the balloon. There were no maternal complications or fetal deaths. All neonates underwent postnatal repair with a patch. The 6-month, 1-year, and 2-year survival rates were significantly higher in our treated cohort than in our nontreated historical cohort (80% compared with 11%, risk difference 69%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 38-100%, P=.01; 70% compared with 11%, risk difference 59%, 95% CI 24-94%, P=.02; and 67% compared with 11%, risk difference 56%, 95% CI 19-93%, P=.04, respectively) with reduced need for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (30% compared with 70%, risk difference 40%, 95% CI 10-79%, P=.05).ConclusionFetoscopic tracheal occlusion is feasible and is associated with improved postnatal outcomes in severe left diaphragmatic hernia.Clinical Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov, https://clinicaltrials.gov, NCT00881660.

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