Affiliations: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Department of Mother and Child, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Integrata Verona, Verona, Italy | Section of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Verona, Verona, Italy | Section of Radiology, Department of Pathology and Diagnosis, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Integrata Verona, Verona, Italy | Section of Otorhinolaryngology, Department of Neurosciences, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Integrata Verona, Verona, Italy | Section of Anaesthesiology, Department of Emergency and Intensive Care, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Integrata Verona, Verona, Italy | Section of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Department of Mother and Child, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
Abstract: Temporary tracheal balloons have been shown to improve lung growth in fetuses with severe congenital diaphragmatic hernia. Fetoscopic Endoluminal Tracheal Occlusion (FETO) is performed at 26–28 weeks gestation, and then is removed in utero at 34 weeks gestation at highly specialized centers. In case of preterm labor at a hospital without a specialized team, a number of techniques have been used to remove the balloon, sometimes with death of the newborn. We have successfully performed an ultrasound-guided approach to puncture and remove the tracheal balloon in a premature infant in an emergency setting at birth. After that she was treated for congenital diaphragmatic hernia at our Newborn Intensive Care Unit.
