Myelomeningocele treatment usually starts within 48 hours of birth with surgery to correct spinal impairment and prevent infections or new spinal cord injuries, limiting the type of sequelae.
Although myelomeningocele surgical treatment is effective in curing the baby’s spinal injury, it cannot treat the aftermath of the baby since birth, i.e. if the baby is born with paralysis or incontinence, for example, it will not heal, but will prevent the appearance of new side effects that could result from exposure to the spinal cord.
- Surgery to treat myelomeningocele is usually performed in the hospital under general anesthesia and is ideally performed by a team that includes a neurosurgeon and a plastic surgeon.
- As it usually follows these steps:.
Often, because little skin is available at the myelomeningocele site, your surgeon should remove a piece of skin from another part of your baby’s back or buttocks to perform an extract and close the opening in your back.
In addition, most babies with myelomeningocele may also develop hydrocephalus, which is a problem that causes excessive fluid buildup inside the skull and may therefore need to undergo further surgery after the first year of life to place a system that helps.drain fluids to other parts of the body. Learn more about hydrocephalus treatment.
Although less common, in some hospitals it is also possible to have surgery to end myelomeningocele before the end of pregnancy, even in the pregnant woman’s uterus.
This surgery can be performed around 24 weeks, but it is a very delicate procedure that should only be performed by a well-trained surgeon, which ends up encing the surgery.However, the results of uterine surgery appear to be better, as there is less chance of further spinal cord damage during pregnancy.
Physical therapy for myelomeningocele should be done during the baby’s growth and development process to maintain joint width and prevent muscle atrophy.
In addition, physiotherapy is also a great way to encourage children to face their limitations, such as paralysis, allowing them to have an independent life, through the use of crutches or wheelchairs, for example.
Once your baby leaves the hospital, it’s important to see your doctor when symptoms such as:
These symptoms can indicate serious complications, such as infection or hydrocephalus, so it’s important to go to the emergency room as soon as possible.