Perinatal Surgery Fellowship
Perinatal Surgery Fellowship
The Perinatal Surgery Fellowship at Nationwide Children’s Hospital is a one-year program designed for the specialist to gain expertise in fetal diagnosis, therapy and surgery in anticipation of a sub-specialization in this area.
This one-year fellowship is not accredited but is geared towards General Surgery and General Obstetrics. When the training ends, the fellow will be proficient in fetal diagnosis, as well as therapy and surgery in anticipation for a sub-specialization in this area.
The fellow’s experience will be in advanced minimally invasive surgery. The fellowship is designed to provide experience to identify and utilize the least invasive methods to manage surgical disease in fetuses and neonates. Rotations in maternal-fetal medicine, radiology, and surgery will provide well-rounded and unique surgical experience.The fellow will learn the evaluation, patient selection, room setup, and techniques of advanced fetal surgery, including an opportunity to become familiar with in-utero surgery. The fetal surgery program at Nationwide Children’s Hospital will provide the fellow with a vast array of fetal surgical experiences, including in-utero repair of spina bifida, selective fetoscopic laser photocoagulation for twin-twin transfusion syndrome, fetoscopic endoscopic tracheal occlusion for congenital diaphragmatic hernia, EXIT procedures, as well as many others.
What You Need to Know
Curriculum
Fellows spend approximately 6 months on clinical activities and 6 months on clinical research, and gain road exposure to all aspects of fetal medicine including:
- Prenatal ultrasound
- Fetal echocardiography
- Fetal MRI
- Prenatal testing
- Genetic counseling
- Percutaneous procedures
- Fetoscopic procedures
- EXIT procedures
- Open fetal surgery
During training period, fellows will participate in:
- Fetal surgery and maternal-fetal medicine educational conferences
- Outpatient and inpatient care
- Interdisciplinary team meetings with new patients and follow-up consultations with existing patients
- Routine and complex fetal surgical procedures
- Pre and postoperative care of patients undergoing fetal surgery
- Programmed study of selected readings in Fetal Diagnosis and Treatment
- Clinical research projects
Experience
Fellows will gain experience in:
- Diagnostic and operative fetoscopy
- Selective fetoscopic laser photocoagulation for twin-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS)
- Fetoscopic procedures for amniotic band syndrome, placental chorioangioma, minimally conjoined twins
- Fetal antegrade cystoscopy and ablation of posterior urethral valves
- Fetoscopic laryngotomy for CHAOS
- Fetal endoscopic tracheal occlusion (FETO) for congenital diaphragmatic hernia
- Fetal endoscopic tracheal intubation (FETI) for upper airway obstruction
- Shunt placement for bladder outlet obstruction, congenital pulmonary airway malformation (CPAM) and pleural effusions
- Intrauterine transfusion for fetal anemia
- Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for fetal tumors
- Intrafetal RFA for TRAP sequence
- Open fetal procedures, including resections of complicated CPAM, cervical teratoma, sacrococcygeal teratoma, pericardial teratoma
- Pacemaker placement for complete heart block
- Repair of myelomeningocele (open and fetoscopic)
- EXIT-to-airway for cervical teratoma, lymphangioma, CHAOS, micrognathia
- EXIT-to-ECMO for congenital diaphragmatic hernia
- EXIT-to-resection for CPAM, BPS, SCT
- Trans-thoracic retrograde intubation EXIT (TRI-EXIT) for neck mass with mediastinal extension
- Fetal percutaneous valvuloplasty for critical aortic and pulmonary stenosis
- Fetal percutaneous stent placement for hypoplastic left heart syndrome with intact atrial septum
Lectures, Clubs and Seminars
- FRAG (Fetal Research Affinity Group)
- Fellows will have involvement with the Fetal Research Affinity Group (FRAG), which is a platform for collaboration and innovations in the field of fetal medicine. Bringing together specialists from various disciplines to share knowledge, exchange ideas, and advance fetal therapy.
- Surgical grand rounds
- Grand Rounds
Faculty & Fellows
Salary & Benefits
Our fellows are hospital employees, and as such, they are eligible for the same benefits other full-time staff receive (with the exception of paid time off, which is outlined.) Learn more about fellowship benefits.
Research
Research education and training are vital to the mission of Nationwide Children's Hospital and The Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital. As a top-ten free-standing pediatric research center and an academic affiliate of The Ohio State University, The Research Institute has an outstanding faculty, dedicated to training and mentoring the next generation of scientists in pediatric research.
Research at Nationwide Children's Hospital
Advocacy
Advocacy training fosters and encourages interest in child advocacy by early involvement and exposure to its many aspects such as addressing social determinants of health, community collaboration, health finance, health policy and legislative advocacy.
Eligibility & Application
To be eligible for this fellowship, the applicant must meet the following requirements:
- Completion of general surgery training at an ACGME-approved (or equivalent) general surgery residency, or
- Completion of general obstetrics training at an ACOG-approved residency
International applicants must have completed their pediatric surgery or maternal-fetal medicine training and have USMLE, ECFMG, and the ability to secure a state of Ohio training license.
Application Requirements
Please Note: We are only accepting applications for the 2025-2026 academic year.
Please email the following items to Heather Bowman to complete the application:
- Curriculum Vitae
- Personal statement
- Two letters of recommendation addressed to the program director (Adolfo Etchegaray, MD)
Contact
Adolfo Etchegaray, MD
Program Director
Oluyinka Olutoye, MD
Associate Program Director
Heather Bowman
Program Coordinator
Heather.Bowman@NationwideChildrens.org
(614) 722-6050