With my colleague Alexander Engels, we have completely reproduced the fetal lamb model of open spina bifida by surgical induction at 75 days of gestation (Meuli-1995). Following a midline laparotomy and 6-7 cm hysterotomy under general anesthesia, this fetal surgery performed on seven 200-gram fetuses consists of a large lumbar skin resection, paraspinal muscle resection, 4-level L1-L4 laminectomy and dura mater resection (2 Fig below) .
Fetus were returned to amniotic cavity, the hysterotomy and abdomen was closed in layers.
fetal sheep model of spina bifida-March 2015