spina bifida surgery in utero

hummblebee · Mar 10, 2006

This is pretty cool, no matter how you look at it!

http://www.michaelclancy.com/

[size=-1][size=-1]During a spina bifida corrective procedure at twenty-one weeks in utero, Samuel thrusts his tiny hand out of the surgical opening of his mother's uterus. As the doctor lifts his hand, Samuel reacts to the touch and squeezes the doctor's finger. As if testing for strength, the doctor shakes the tiny fist. Samuel held firm. At that moment, I took this "Fetal Hand Grasp" photo. [/size]

[size=-1]As a photojournalist, my job is to tell stories through pictures. The experience of taking this photograph has had a profound effect on me, and I'm proud to share this moment with you.[/size]

[size=-1]Michael Clancy[/size]

[/size]
Click to expand...

willow1313 · Mar 10, 2006

Wow, isn't it amazing what medical science can do these days?

That little hand is so cute.

homeschoolmama · Mar 10, 2006

Ohhhh! (mopping up tears) What a touching picture... and story! Thanks for sharing
love,
mom

HippyFreek2004 · Mar 11, 2006

I remember being about 12 years old and telling everyone that I wanted to be a pre-natal surgeon. And when I explained what that meant, no one believed it was possible. But it's coming a long way.

And what a beautiful photo. Made me cry.

mamaboogie · Mar 11, 2006

I've seen that photo, heard it was one of those internet hoaxes....

edited - here's the deal from snopes.com

The pictures accompanying the text quoted above are real in that they are indeed photographs taken during a revolutionary fetal procedure undertaken on 19 August 1999 to fix the spina bifida lesion of a 21-week-old fetus in the womb. The operation was performed by a surgical team at Vanderbilt University in Nashville which developed a technique for correcting fetal problems in mid-pregnancy by temporarily removing the uterus, draining the amniotic fluid, performing surgery on the tiny fetus, then restoring the uterus back inside the mother. The patient shown above, Samuel Armas, was the 54th fetus operated on by the surgical team; Dr. Joseph Bruner, the surgeon whose hands are pictured above, alleviated the effects of the opening in Samuel's spine caused by the spina bifida, a congenital disease that often leads to paralysis and other problems. Pictures from the surgery were printed in a number of newspapers in the U.S. and around the world, including USA Today, and, thanks to the remarkable surgical procedure performed by the Nashville team, little Samuel was born healthy on 2 December 1999.

However, it is not true, as described in the accompanying text, that these photographs were taken as Samuel's hand "emerged from the mother's uterus to grasp the finger of Dr. Joseph Bruner as if thanking the doctor for the gift of life," or that Dr. Bruner said "when his finger was grasped, it was the most emotional moment of his life." This misinformation has been propagated by many different sources, including the photographer who took the pictures:

As a doctor asked me what speed of film I was using, out of the corner of my eye I saw the uterus shake, but no one's hands were near it. It was shaking from within. Suddenly, an entire arm thrust out of the opening, then pulled back until just a little hand was showing. The doctor reached over and lifted the hand, which reacted and squeezed the doctor's finger. As if testing for strength, the doctor shook the tiny fist. Samuel held firm. I took the picture! Wow! It happened so fast that the nurse standing next to me asked, "What happened?"

"The child reached out," I said.

"Oh. They do that all the time," she responded.[size=-1]1
[/size]
What actually happened, as described in news reports of the surgery, was that:

[J]ust as surgeon Dr. Joseph Bruner was closing the incision in Julie Armas' uterus, Samuel's thumbnail-sized hand flopped out. Bruner lifted it gently and tucked it back in.[size=-1]2
[/size]
(The dubious veracity of the photographer's version of events is highlighted by his appended disclaimer stating that it represents his "opinion of the events as they took place during the surgery for Samuel.")
Click to expand...

homeschoolmama · Mar 11, 2006

So then what is in question is whether his hand accidentally fell out or he put it out through force of will? I can see that. I still think it's an amazing picture. To me, he clearly held on... a perfectly natural reflex, but it makes for a powerful image nonetheless.
love,
mom

mamaboogie · Mar 11, 2006

I posted that I heard it was a hoax, then decided to look it up myself, and then edited my reply with what I had found. Not a hoax, but misrepresented in a way.

hummblebee · Mar 11, 2006

Yeah, thanks for the added info - I must admit that a friend showed me the site, and I just posted the link up without any added research. Either way, it's still a pretty cool pic....

hippychickmommy · Mar 11, 2006

Amazing story, and the picture is precious.

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spina bifida surgery in utero

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spina bifida surgery in utero

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HippyFreek2004 changed screen name

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