Last updated: 11/24/2009

A health care provider may listen to the fetal heart rate by means of a hand-held Doppler device, which uses ultrasound to amplify the heart beat. A continuous electronic fetal monitor may also be used to track the fetal heart rate and maternal uterine...

contractions. It is held against the mother's abdomen by means of elastic straps.

Open fetal surgery is an alternative to internal fetoscopy. It is used for conditions that cannot be treated endoscopically. An incision is made through the abdomen and the uterus is partially removed from the body. Amniotic fluid is drained from the uterus and kept in a warmer for replacement after completion of the surgery. An incision is made in the uterus (called a hysterotomy). In order to minimize bleeding of the uterus, an instrument called a uterine stapler is used to make an incision while simultaneously placing staples around the perimeter of the incision to prevent bleeding. Surgery is then performed on the fetus through the opening in the uterus to locate the abnormality and remove or repair it. There is a greater risk of infection, premature labor, and leakage of amniotic fluid with open fetal surgery than there is with fetoscopy.