Surgeons at the Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital have successfully performed in-utero surgery on a 29-week-old fetus with a heart deformity.

Three specialist surgeons took part in the operation, which involved reshaping a ventricle in a heart the size of an apricot pit. Three weeks later, it appears that the surgery is a success.

In-utero surgery is a relatively rare procedure used to address serious conditions that threaten the life of a fetus. Despite the success of the operation, long-term follow-up of the child after birth will still be required.