Dr. Rodrigo Ruano, MD, PhD

Dr. Rodrigo Ruano, MD, PhD, is an internationally recognized pioneer in fetal surgery and high-risk obstetrics whose work has helped redefine what is possible in maternal-fetal medicine. Trained at the University of Sao Paulo and fellowship-trained in fetal surgery at the University of Paris, Dr. Ruano has spent more than two decades advancing minimally invasive in-utero therapies for some of the most complex and life-threatening congenital conditions. He is widely known for expanding the use of fetal cystoscopy and fetoscopic interventions to treat lower urinary tract obstruction (LUTO), congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH), and twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) — helping transform diagnoses once considered uniformly fatal into candidates for meaningful, life-altering intervention. With more than 250 peer-reviewed publications and 50 book chapters, Dr. Ruano’s research has influenced global practice standards in prenatal diagnosis, 3D and 4D fetal imaging, and advanced fetal therapy. His work bridges imaging innovation, surgical precision, and multidisciplinary systems of care. As director of the UHealth Jackson Fetal Care Center — a collaboration between Jackson Health System and UHealth - University of Miami Health System — he leads one of the nation’s most comprehensive fetal programs, integrating advanced in-utero procedures with coordinated neonatal and pediatric subspecialty care at Holtz Children's Hospital. Dr. Ruano’s work sits at the intersection of innovation, ethics, and precision medicine — advancing a field where technology, imaging, surgical robotics, and multidisciplinary collaboration to improve outcomes for both mother and child. He is driven by a singular mission: to expand the boundaries of fetal therapy so that more families are given options, more babies are given a chance, and more conditions once deemed untreatable become treatable realities.