After more than a decade of work, the Tracheal Occlusion To Accelerate Lung Growth (TOTAL) Trial was published. This trial showed a survival benefit for fetuses with very high-risk Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH) who underwent the Fetoscopic Endoluminal Tracheal Occlusion (FETO) procedure. In the ongoing effort to provide optimal care for patients, The Fetal Center, affiliated with Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital, McGovern Medical School at UTHealth, and UT Physicians, has been offering FETO for the prenatal treatment of CDH through participation in both the Severe and Moderate Arms of the TOTAL Trial.

As a recognized, international leader in the prenatal diagnosis and management of CDH, Anthony Johnson D.O., Co-Director of The Fetal Center, worked closely with Professor Deprest (the study’s lead author and principle investigator) to lead the process of bringing the trial to the U.S., enrolling and managing these patients, and co-authoring the publications in the New England Journal of Medicine. As one of only 10 U.S. fetal centers granted FDA to offer FETO intervention and the only fetal center in the U.S. to participate in both arms of the TOTAL Trial, the Comprehensive Center for CDH Care and the entire team at UTHealth and Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital are actively engaged and dedicated to improving outcomes for all patients with CDH – mild, moderate, or severe.