An interventional study of In Utero Endoscopic Correction of Myelomeningocele IDE - Percutaneous Technique and In Utero Endoscopic Correction of Myelomeningocele IDE - Laparotomy/Uterine Exteriorization Technique in Neural Tube Defects, Spina Bifida and Myelomeningocele, sponsored by University of Southern California. Active, not recruiting at 2 sites in United States. Open to female participants aged 18 Years to 52 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-05-04.
Sponsored by University of Southern California · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of performing fetoscopic surgical correction of fetal spina bifida. Two surgical approaches will be utilized: the percutaneous technique versus the laparotomy/uterine exteriorization technique.
47 studies on the registry are indexed under Neural Tube Defects; 9 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 110 is above the median of 47 across 26 interventional studies indexed under Neural Tube Defects.
Browse Neural Tube Defects studies →University of Southern California is the lead sponsor of 791 studies on the registry; 136 are open to participants now.
Of its 70 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 32 (46%) have results posted.
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Exclusion Criteria:
Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Weight in kilograms divided by height in metres squared. Example: 70 kg and 1.75 m gives 70 ÷ (1.75 × 1.75) ≈ 22.9.
What counts as overweight or obesity differs between countries (some use lower cut-offs), so go by the range the study states.
The human immunodeficiency virus, which weakens the immune system.
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Hepatitis B is a virus that infects the liver. These are separate tests: HBsAg positive usually means a current infection (a recent vaccination can briefly cause it too); total anti-HBc (HBcAb) positive means an infection now or in the past; HBV DNA measures how much virus is in the blood.
Some studies accept a past infection if HBV DNA is undetectable, sometimes with antiviral medicine during the study. Check what this study allows.
Hepatitis C is a virus that infects the liver. An HCV antibody test can stay positive after an infection has cleared (and is occasionally positive without one); an HCV RNA test shows whether the virus is there now.
After treatment, hepatitis C counts as cured when HCV RNA is still undetectable 12 weeks or more after the treatment ended. Studies often accept people cured this way.
A reason a treatment, test or procedure should not be given to a particular person, such as an allergy, another illness or a medicine they take.
An allergy, or another reaction of the immune system, to a substance. “Hypersensitivity to the study drug” means a known allergic reaction to it — not every side effect a medicine can have.
BMI (body mass index)
Weight in kilograms divided by height in metres squared. Example: 70 kg and 1.75 m gives 70 ÷ (1.75 × 1.75) ≈ 22.9.
What counts as overweight or obesity differs between countries (some use lower cut-offs), so go by the range the study states.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
HIV
The human immunodeficiency virus, which weakens the immune system.
Many studies now accept people whose HIV is controlled on treatment, judged by the viral load and the CD4 count. Check the limits this study sets.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Hepatitis B tests
Hepatitis B is a virus that infects the liver. These are separate tests: HBsAg positive usually means a current infection (a recent vaccination can briefly cause it too); total anti-HBc (HBcAb) positive means an infection now or in the past; HBV DNA measures how much virus is in the blood.
Some studies accept a past infection if HBV DNA is undetectable, sometimes with antiviral medicine during the study. Check what this study allows.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Hepatitis C tests
Hepatitis C is a virus that infects the liver. An HCV antibody test can stay positive after an infection has cleared (and is occasionally positive without one); an HCV RNA test shows whether the virus is there now.
After treatment, hepatitis C counts as cured when HCV RNA is still undetectable 12 weeks or more after the treatment ended. Studies often accept people cured this way.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Contraindication
A reason a treatment, test or procedure should not be given to a particular person, such as an allergy, another illness or a medicine they take.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Hypersensitivity
An allergy, or another reaction of the immune system, to a substance. “Hypersensitivity to the study drug” means a known allergic reaction to it — not every side effect a medicine can have.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
The percutaneous technique uses endoscopic scopes through the maternal skin and uterus to perform the surgery. A variation of the percutaneous technique is the mini-laparotomy technique, which uses an endoscopic scope through an incision on the abdomen, smaller than a laparotomy ("mini-laparotomy"), and smaller endoscopic scopes through the maternal skin and uterus to perform the surgery.
Device: In Utero Endoscopic Correction of Myelomeningocele IDE - Percutaneous Technique
The laparotomy/uterine exteriorization technique consists of performing a laparotomy (incision into the abdominal cavity), exteriorizing the uterus, and using endoscopic scopes through the uterus to perform the correction.
Device: In Utero Endoscopic Correction of Myelomeningocele IDE - Laparotomy/Uterine Exteriorization Technique
The percutaneous approach uses endoscopes through a closed maternal abdomen and closed uterus to perform the spina bifida correction.
The laparotomy/uterine exteriorization technique uses endoscopes through an open abdomen and closed, exteriorized uterus to perform the spina bifida correction.
Ability to perform the endoscopic procedure
Successful fetoscopic closure of the defect
Time frame: At time of surgery
Chiari II malformation reversal
Reversal of hindbrain herniation on ultrasound and MRI
Time frame: Prior to delivery
This study is active, not recruiting, as verified in Apr 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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