Na čo konkrétne budú peniaze z tejto kampane použité?

Získané prostriedky by sa použili jednak na špeciálny medicínsky materiál potrebný na realizáciu vnútromaternicových výkonov v rámci prenatálnej diagnostiky a fetálnej terapie (ihly, stenty, prípadne optické laserové vlákna a pod.).

Pri získaní vyššej sumy by bolo možné zakúpiť kompletne vybavený operačný fetoskop, ktorý obsahuje operačné endoskopické inštrumentárium potrebné na zložitejšie vnútromaternicové operácie plodu a umožnil by rozšíriť spektrum operácii na nenarodenom plode ako napr. niektoré rázštepy neurálnej trubice/chrbtice (ktoré inak môžu viesť ku smrti plodu, alebo trvalej invalidite dieťaťa), diafragmatické hernie (bráničné prietrže – môžu viesť k smrti plodu alebo trvalej invalidizácii dieťaťa), syndróm amniálnych pruhov (tento môže napr. viesť k nevyvinutiu končatín, respektíve k ich amputácii alebo k smrti plodu) atď.

Ďalšou vecou, ktorú by bolo možné zakúpiť by bol laserový generátor, ktorý je potrebný na realizáciu vnútromaternicových operácii laserovou technikou napr. pri syndróme amniálnych pruhov, či patologických situáciách vznikajúcich u viacplodových gravidít (z nich viaceré môžu viesť k trvalej invalidizácii jedného, alebo viacerých plodov, resp. k ich smrti). Viacplodové gravidity a iné vnútromaternicové problémy by mohli byť variabilnejšie lepšie operované aj pri zakúpení vybavenia na rádiofrekvenčnú abláciu.

Who is behind the campaign?

Renata Hall is the mother of a much desired and loved baby girl whose life was saved by doctor Ferianec and his colleagues at Ružinov hospital, due to their high level of professionalism and personal involvement. Hence, she can enjoy her daughter and life in general.

She would like as many women as possible (and their loved ones) to be able to enjoy such happiness, even in cases where women encounter serious problems during their pregnancy and the delivery, as well as after the delivery. She devotes her professional life to improving conditions for quality research in Slovakia. She believes it is important to support excellent researchers and innovators, especially when the results of their work directly enhance quality of life and save lives.

She herself does not have sufficient material resources to significantly help the hospital where her life was saved. However, she endeavours to get help from others who would like to contribute to saving and improving the lives of unborn children.

Who is the beneficiary of the campaign? 

 Having a healthy baby is every parent’s wish. Yet not everyone has such luck. There are ways to improve outcomes for unborn babies with serious developmental defects or illnesses which threaten their health or even their lives. We can help these children thanks to modern fetal medicine.

At the II. Dept. of Obstetrics and Gynecology (Gynecological and delivery clinic) of Comenius University in Ružinov there are doctors who practise fetal medicine very successfully. They have already saved dozens of babies who suffered from anaemia and received transfusion while still being in the uterus. They have also saved the babies of women whose water broke prematurely, babies with developmental defects of the urinary tract and chest, and even a baby with a massive throat tumour.

In addition, assoc. prof. (doctor) Ferianec and his team at Ružinov hospital have already been practising fetal medicine at an internationally recognised level. It is demonstrated by the fact that several of their medical approaches and techniques are original, and have been published and widely cited in internationally recognised scientific literature (e.g. The amniopatch as an active treatment of spontaneous previable rupture of membranes, Prenatal diagnosis and successful intrauterine treatment of severe congenital hypothyroidism associated with fetal goiter). The results of the work of doctor Ferianec and his team have become part of American medical guidelines (The American Association of Endocrine Surgeons Guidelines) and of The Perinatal revolution.

If enough money is raised, then doctors at Ružinov hospital will not only have better conditions for performing interventions that they already deliver now. They will also have a chance to diagnose and treat other conditions which must currently be treated abroad (but only if the pregnant woman and/or her family can afford it). This would include for example spina bifida, diaphragmatic hernia, amniotic band syndrome, or pathological situations arising because of multiple pregnancies.

World class treatment for unborn children could then become more accessible to women in Slovakia regardless of their social status.

Let’s help our doctors to treat their patients and their unborn children in line with up-to-date scientific knowledge and methods.

How are we going to use the raised funds? 

Money raised will be used to buy special medical supplies necessary for the performance of intrauterine prenatal diagnostics and fetal therapy (e.g., needles, stents, optical laser fibres).

If larger sums will be raised then it will be possible to buy a fully equipped surgical fetoscope, including the endoscopic instruments necessary for more complex intrauterine surgery on fetuses, and it will enlarge the spectrum of possible surgeries for unborn fetuses such as spina bifida (which can lead to death or permanent disablement), diaphragmatic hernia (which can lead to death or permanent disablement), or amniotic band syndrome (which can lead to impaired development of limbs, limb amputation or death of the fetus).

Another item that could be purchased is the laser generator, which is necessary for intrauterine surgery using laser techniques to treat amniotic band syndrome or pathological situations arising from multiple pregnancies (several of these situations could lead to the permanent disablement of one or more fetuses, or to their death). Multiple pregnancies and other intrauterine problems could also be better operated on if equipment for radiofrequency ablation could be purchased.

Milestones:

3000 Eur – Special medical supplies necessary for the performance of intrauterine prenatal diagnostics and fetal therapy.

20 000 Eur - Fully equipped surgical fetoscope – endoscopic instruments necessary for more complex intrauterine surgery on fetuses.

30 000 Eur – Equipment for radiofrequency ablation.

100 000 Eur – Laser generator necessary for intrauterine surgery using laser techniques to treat, for example, amniotic band syndrome or pathological situations arising because of multiple pregnancies.