NICU Tools
The Voorhes01Called a Betocchi sheath, this hysteroscope is normally used for surgeries inside non-pregnant uteruses. Before using smaller scopes, Belfort’s team repurposed this one for fetal surgeries—its dual channels are useful for inserting a fiber-optic camera and an operating instrument through the same incision.
The Voorhes02In order to arrive at this first iteration of his modified fetoscopes, Belfort had to find a jewelry manufacturer who works with FDA-approved lasers to cut and re-weld the factory scope.
The Voorhes03Half as short as their predecessor, these second-gen modded scopes are short enough for the surgeons to hold one-handed, without an assistant’s help. Through one, Belfort provides vision with a fiber-optic camera and assists an accompanying neurosurgeon with forceps.
The Voorhes04Operating the other scope in the pair is a neurosurgeon who's charge of making incisions into fetal skin and stitching it up afterwards.
The Voorhes05During surgeries for spina bifida—a birth defect in which the spine forms incorrectly—Belfort uses these forceps to pull back fetal tissue for a neurosurgeon to make incisions that release the spinal cord into its correct position.
