By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Oct 2: Sarawak General Hospital (SGH) have made medical history in Malaysia by successfully performing the country’s first surgery on a baby still in the mother’s womb to repair an open spinal defect on Sept 22, 2025.
Congratulating the hospital team, Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian said the delicate operation was carried out on a mother from Kuantan, who is in her third pregnancy at 26 weeks.
“Both the mother and her unborn baby are reported to be recovering well. We pray for the baby’s safe delivery at term, around 40 weeks,” he said in a post shared on his social media on Wednesday (Oct 1).
Dr Sim, who is also Minister of Public Health, Housing and Local Government, explained that the intricate procedure, known as intrauterine (fetal) surgery, is typically performed between 19 and 26 weeks of pregnancy.
“It aims to improve neurological outcomes, reduce the future need for walking aids, and lower the risk of hydrocephalus (fluid build-up in the brain) associated with spina bifida,” he said, in order to give the child a better quality of life after birth.
The pioneering surgery was led by a team of highly trained specialists, including Dr Tan Lee Na (Maternal Fetal Medicine), Dr Low Peh Hueh (Neurosurgery), Dr Teo Shu Ching (Anaesthesiology), and Dr Amita (Neonatology), all of whom underwent advanced training in Australia last year.
Australian experts Professor Dr Sailesh Kumar (Maternal Fetal Medicine), Dr Amelia Jardim (Neurosurgery), and Dr Aled Hapgood (Anaesthesiology) provided supervision during the operation.
The SGH multidisciplinary team, including Dr Rafaie Amin, Fara Bashar, Tuscianthi Tata, Ng Pei Meng, Chng Kar Heng, Nasuha, alongside dedicated nurses, assistant medical officers, and support staff, ensured meticulous preparation and care throughout. — DayakDaily
