Title: The importance of giving an alternative: the case of fetal surgery

Authors: Giuseppe Turchetti, Barbara Labella, Pietro Valdastri, Arianna Menciassi, Paolo Dario

Addresses: Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Piazza Martiri della Liberta, 33, 56127 Pisa, Italy. ' Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Piazza Martiri della Liberta, 33, 56127 Pisa, Italy. ' Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Piazza Martiri della Liberta, 33, 56127 Pisa, Italy; CRIM Lab Polo Sant'Anna Valdera, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Viale Rinaldo Piaggio, 34-56025-Pontedera (PI), Italy. ' Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Piazza Martiri della Liberta, 33, 56127 Pisa, Italy; CRIM Lab Polo Sant'Anna Valdera, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Viale Rinaldo Piaggio 34-56025-Pontedera (PI), Italy. ' Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Piazza Martiri della Liberta, 33, 56127 Pisa, Italy; CRIM Lab Polo Sant'Anna Valdera, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Viale Rinaldo Piaggio 34-56025-Pontedera (PI), Italy

Abstract: The aim of this paper is to give a contribution to the debate on fetal surgery offering a socio-economic |reading key| of expected development and future role of prenatal surgical treatment. An overview of the past and present scenario of both performed clinical procedures and applied technologies is presented and the socio-economic factors that, according to our perspective, could strongly influence the dimension and the speed of the innovation process in fetal surgery, both in the clinical and the technological areas, are described. Two specific technological research trajectories in the field of fetal surgery are presented as a contribution to the definition of future development of the technology for prenatal surgical treatment, and a roadmap of the future of fetal surgery is sketched.

Keywords: abortion; fetal surgery; healthcare technology; pulmonary athresia; socio-economic perspectives; spina bifida; technological roadmap; prenatal surgical treatment.

DOI: 10.1504/IJHTM.2007.013163

International Journal of Healthcare Technology and Management, 2007 Vol.8 No.3/4, pp.250 - 267

Published online: 11 Apr 2007 *

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