Bay Area Doctor Pioneers Fetal Surgery to Save Lives

UCSF Fetal Surgeon Hanmin Lee, MD, is interviewed by KGO-TV about operations he performs on newborns and fetal surgeries done in utero to correct birth defects that would kill a child if he waited to operate after birth. "We can actually correct the defect and allow the child to be healthier or even survive an otherwise un-survivable birth defect," said Lee. Under the direction of Michael Harrison, MD, professor of surgery and pediatrics, UCSF was the first in the world to successfully perform open fetal surgery in 1981; the KGO segment also includes video from a 20/20 episode that featured one of Harrison's surgeries on a fetus to remove a tumor. Lee, an assistant professor of surgery and director of the Fetal Treatment Center laboratory, was featured in an episode of Medical Incredible last year on the Discovery Health Channel. His clinical interests include neonatal surgery, fetal surgery, minimally invasive surgery and biliary surgery. Lee's basic science research interests include tissue engineering and liver regeneration. He has published numerous clinical and basic science articles in these fields. He is well-recognized as a leader in pediatric minimally invasive surgery. The Fetal Treatment Center at UCSF Children's Hospital is a world leader in diagnosing and treating birth defects. Related Links: New Bay Area Doctor Pioneers Fetal Surgery to Save Lives Drive to Discover, KGO-TV (ABC), April 26, 2007 Research Summary: Surgery on the Smallest Patients Drive to Discover, KGO-TV (ABC), April 26, 2007 Surgery on the Smallest Patients UCSF Today, February 28, 2007 Discovery Show to Feature UCSF Fetal Surgeon UCSF Today, June 19, 2006 Fetal Treatment Center: The Birthplace of Fetal Surgery UCSF Children's Hospital