This Robotic Prenatal Spina Bifida Surgery is Transforming Healthcare

Thirteen weeks into her pregnancy, Lexi Royer discovered the baby growing inside her had a serious birth defect. Then something amazing happened …

Two days into the 25th week of her term, doctors at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston cut into Lexi’s abdomen. They removed her uterus, drained the amniotic fluid, and operated with a tiny telescope and miniature surgical tools.

This in-utero procedure is a testament to this era. And this kind of robotic micro-surgery is a wake-up call for investors. That’s because it’s transforming healthcare as we know it.

The defect doctors feared was spina bifida. That’s a fetal condition where skin does not form over the lower spine. Early scans revealed the brain stem was being pulled down into the spinal column. Although Lexi’s baby still had good motor skills, this defect often leads to severe brain damage.

For many, the result is a lifetime of feeding tubes, wheelchairs and reduced life expectancy.

Because spina bifida is not immediately life threatening, it’s been common practice to address the condition after birth. But as research has progressed, the medical community concluded that toxins in the amniotic fluid end up leading to more damage.

Since the 1990s, doctors began performing prenatal surgeries. And for carefully screened cases, like Lexi’s, the results have been impressive.

The New York Times
reports that the number of afflicted children able to walk independently doubled. Those needing a shunt to drain excess cerebrospinal fluid into the body was cut in half.

Obstetrician Dr. Michael Belfort and Dr. William Whitehead, a pediatric neurosurgeon, sought to give Lexi’s baby even-better odds.

The Houston doctors took an unusual step. They removed Lexi’s uterus from her body.

With the womb still attached internally, they were able to carefully lift it, drain the amniotic fluid and inflate it with carbon dioxide. They then made small incisions to allow instruments and internal illumination, for better visibility.

It’s a procedure many would have deemed too risky even a decade ago. Belfort and Whitehead spent hundreds of hours over two years, practicing in a simulator.

Their success is the result of better modeling and data analytics. And this is happening throughout life sciences.

For investors, the opportunities are rampant.

Surgical robots have been around for a while. Most combine data analytics, 3D imaging and cutting-edge machinery to help surgeons perform the most delicate of spinal and brain procedures. The level of precision is remarkable.

One company uses an integrated 3D camera and spatial tracking to map the pre-operation surface and surrounding area. Fluoroscopic images taken with 3D markers build surgical plans. Sophisticated algorithms govern a robotic arm with pinpoint accuracy.

It all seems like something from a crazy-efficient future. A future that is here today.

In 2003, researchers completed a full reading of the human genome. Shortly afterward, others discovered that bacteria defended against viral DNA by using special enzymes. They systematically cut, copied and stored bits for future reference. It took 20 more years, but scientists have now determined the DNA of any organism could be snipped.

The process is called gene-editing, or CRISPR/Cas9. With it, scientists can literally edit organisms, and remove the bits that lead to unfavorable outcomes.

They have already had good success using CRISPR to repair retinitis pigmentosa in laboratory mice. Researchers believe the process will translate well to human trials.

Related story:
Gene-editing offers a taste of change

Many companies are working hard in various stages of the CRISPR ecosystem. Some are doing drug discovery. Others are working with measurement equipment. Still others are building the software systems needed for data analytics, modeling and simulation.

It’s all part of a big trend in life sciences. This is something investors need to be watching now. For surgery technology, one of my favorite plays in Tech Trend Trader is Israel-based Mazor Robotics (MZOR), which is up 21% since we bought it last month.

It’s still too early to tell if Lexi Royer’s baby will be OK. She says the baby is still moving his ankles and feet. That is a good sign.

Lexi and her husband will stay in Houston with the “second” birth. The San Diego-based couple expect to welcome a boy on Jan. 14. We wish them well.

Best wishes,

Jon Markman