Treatment Of Twin-to-twin Transfusion Syndrome Research Articles

Fetoscopic laser coagulation for twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome: a comparison of flexible 1.0/1.2 mm fetoscopes with curved sheaths of 2.7/3.3 mm2 vs. 2 mm fetoscopic lens technique with sheaths of 6.6/11.3 mm2.

Fetoscopic laser coagulation of placental anastomoses is usually performed for a treatment of twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS). A common complication of fetoscopic laser coagulation for TTTS is preterm preliminary rupture of fetal membranes (PPROM) aggravating the neonatal outcome significantly. However, use of an flexible 1 mm fetoscope with an curved sheath could reduce iatrogenic damage of the amniotic membrane and improve neonatal outcomes after laser treatment. The aim of this study was to compare neonatal outcomes using this flexible fetoscope with curved sheath vs. use of a standard lens technique. Outcomes were retrospective analyzed after use of a standard lens fetoscope of 2 mm (sheath 6.63 mm2 or 11.27 mm2 for anterior placenta) and a flexible fetoscope of 1 mm or 1.2 mm (sheath 2.65 mm2 or 3.34 mm2) in two German centers of fetal surgery, performed during 2006-2019. Neonatal outcome of 247 TTTS patients were analyzed including the rates of double and single fetal survival. The survival of at least one fetus was 97.2 % in the group with the ultrathin technique (n=154) compared to 88.3 % (n=93) in the group with the standard lens fetoscope (p=0.008). Survival of both fetuses was not different between groups (81.0 vs. 75.3 %). The procedure to delivery interval was significantly increased using the ultrathin fetoscope (89.1±35.0 d vs. 71.4±35.4 d, p=0.001) resulting in an increased gestational age at delivery by 11days on average (231.9±28.1 d vs. 221.1±32.7 d, p=0.012). Fetal survival can be significantly increased following TTTS using flexible fetoscope of 1 mm or 1.2 mm (sheath 2.65 mm2 or 3.34 mm2).

Impact of cannula diameter on pregnancy outcomes after minimally invasive fetal laser surgery in the treatment of twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Preterm prelabor rupture of membranes (PPROM) remains a major complication of fetal laser surgery in the treatment of twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS). The aim of the study was to determine the impact of cannula size on pregnancy outcomes, with a particular focus on PPROM. The protocol was developed and registered in the PROSPERO database under registration number CRD42022333630. The PubMed, Web of Science, and EMBASE databases were searched electronically on May 18, 2022, and updated on March 2, 2023, utilizing a combination of the relevant MeSH terms, keywords, and word variants for "TTTS" and "laser". Randomized controlled trials, prospective and retrospective cohorts, case-control studies, and case reports/series with more than five participants were considered eligible for inclusion. Studies reporting the cannula diameter and PPROM rate after laser surgery in the treatment of monochorionic pregnancies affected by TTTS between 16- and 26 weeks' gestation were included. Data was extracted independently, and when appropriate, a random-effects meta-analysis was undertaken to calculate pooled estimates and their confidence intervals. Heterogeneity in the effect estimates of the individual studies was calculated using the I2 statistic. The primary outcome was PPROM rate. Secondary outcomes were survival rate, preterm birth, and incomplete surgery. The quality of the included studies was assessed using a modified quality in prognosis study tool. We included a total of 22 studies, consisting of 3426 patients. Only one study was scored as low quality, seven as moderate quality, and the remaining 14 as high quality. The mean PPROM rate after laser surgery treating TTTS was 22.9%, ranging from 11.6% for 9 French (Fr) to 54.0% for 12 Fr. Subsequent meta-regression for the clinically relevant PPROM rate before 34 weeks of gestation, showed increased PPROM rates for increased cannula size (p-value 0.01). This systematic review confirmed PPROM as a frequent complication of fetal laser surgery, with a mean PPROM rate of 22.9%. A larger cannula diameter relates to a significant higher PPROM risk for PPROM before 34 weeks gestation. Hence, the ideal balance between optimal visualization requiring larger port diameters and shorter operation time and more complete procedures that benefit from larger diameters is crucial to reduce iatrogenic PPROM rates.

Toward a navigation framework for fetoscopy

PurposeFetoscopic laser photocoagulation of placental anastomoses is the most effective treatment for twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS). A robust mosaic of placenta and its vascular network could support surgeons’ exploration of the placenta by enlarging the fetoscope field-of-view. In this work, we propose a learning-based framework for field-of-view expansion from intra-operative video frames.MethodsWhile current state of the art for fetoscopic mosaicking builds upon the registration of anatomical landmarks which may not always be visible, our framework relies on learning-based features and keypoints, as well as robust transformer-based image-feature matching, without requiring any anatomical priors. We further address the problem of occlusion recovery and frame relocalization, relying on the computed features and their descriptors.ResultsExperiments were conducted on 10 in-vivo TTTS videos from two different fetal surgery centers. The proposed framework was compared with several state-of-the-art approaches, achieving higher textrm{SSIM}_{5} on 7 out of 10 videos and a success rate of 93.25% in occlusion recovery.ConclusionThis work introduces a learning-based framework for placental mosaicking with occlusion recovery from intra-operative videos using a keypoint-based strategy and features. The proposed framework can compute the placental panorama and recover even in case of camera tracking loss where other methods fail. The results suggest that the proposed framework has large potential to pave the way to creating a surgical navigation system for TTTS by providing robust field-of-view expansion.

Fetoscopic laser surgery for twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome in DCTA triplets compared to MCDA twins: collaborative study and literature review

Objective To compare the outcomes of dichorionic triamniotic (DCTA) triplets with that of monochorionic diamniotic (MCDA) twin gestations undergoing fetoscopic laser surgery (FLS) for treatment of twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS). Methods Retrospective cohort study of prospectively collected data of consecutive DCTA triplet and MCDA twin pregnancies with TTTS that underwent FLS at two fetal treatment centers between 2012 and 2020. Preoperative, operative and, postoperative variables were collected. Perinatal outcomes were investigated. Primary outcome was survival to birth and to neonatal period. Secondary outcomes were gestational age (GA) at birth and procedure-to-delivery interval. Literature review was conducted in which PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus were searched from inception to September, 2020. Results Twenty four sets of DCTA triplets were compared to MCDA twins during the study period. There were no significant differences in survival (no survivor, single, or double survivors) to birth and to the neonatal period of the MC twin pairs of the DCTA triplets vs MCDA twins. Median GA at delivery was approximately three weeks earlier in DCTA triplets compared to MCDA twins (28.4 weeks vs 31.4 weeks, p = .035, respectively). Rates of preterm birth (PTB) less than 32 and less than 28 weeks were significantly higher in DCTA triplets compared to twins (<32 weeks: 70.8% vs 51.1%, p = .037, respectively, and <28 weeks: 37.5% vs 20.8%, p = .033, respectively). Conclusion Perinatal survival including fetal and neonatal are comparable between DCTA triplets and MCDA twins. However, this might have resulted from the small sample size of the DCTA triplets. GA at delivery is earlier in triplets, which could be due to the nature of triplet gestation rather than to the laser procedure itself.

Computer-assisted fetal laser surgery in the treatment of twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome: Recent trends and prospects.

Fetal laser surgery has emerged as the preferred treatment of twin‐to‐twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS). However, the limited field of view of the fetoscope and the complexity of the procedure make the treatment challenging. Therefore, preoperative planning and intraoperative guidance solutions have been proposed to cope with these challenges. This review uncovers the literature on computer‐assisted software solutions focused on TTTS. These solutions are classified by the pre‐ or intraoperative phase of the procedure and further categorized by discussed hardware and software approaches. In addition, it evaluates the current maturity of technologies by the technology readiness level and enumerates the necessary aspects to bring these new technologies to clinical practice.

Risk Factors and Outcomes Following Septostomy during Fetoscopic Surgery for Twin-to-Twin Transfusion Syndrome.

Fetoscopic laser photocoagulation (FLP) of placental anastomoses is the preferred treatment for twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS). Iatrogenic septostomy (IOS) during FLP is associated with increased risk of neonatal morbidity and mortality. We sought to identify risk factors for IOS and quantify the resultant outcomes. This is a secondary analysis of prospectively collected cases of TTTS in monochorionic diamniotic twins following FLP at a single center. Pre-operative ultrasound characteristics and operative technique (i.e., cannula size, total energy used) were compared between cases with vs. without IOS. Pregnancy and neonatal outcomes were also compared. Of 475 patients that had FLP, 33 (7%) were complicated by IOS. There was no association between operative technique and IOS. IOS was more common with later diagnosis, but less likely when selective fetal growth restriction (sFGR) was present. Survival was similar between groups (76% vs. 76% dual survivors, p = 0.95); however, IOS was associated with earlier delivery (29.7 vs. 32.0 wks, p < 0.01) and greater composite neonatal morbidity (25% vs. 8% in both twins, p = 0.02). Risks of IOS at greater gestational ages without sFGR may be related to a larger collapsed intervening membrane area and the resulting increased risk of puncture on entry.

Perinatal outcomes and factors affecting the survival rate of fetuses with twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome treated with fetoscopic laser coagulation: a single-center seven-year experience

Objectives This single-center study aimed to assess the perinatal outcomes and its associated factors in fetuses with twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) treated by fetoscopic laser coagulation (FLC). Methods In this retrospective study, we included fetuses prenatally diagnosed with TTTS at Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Korea, between October 2011 and December 2018. All patients with TTTS stage II or higher and those with stage I TTTS coupled with symptomatic polyhydramnios or cardiac dysfunction were eligible for FLC. Results A total of 172 cases of monochorionic diamniotic twins and one case of dichorionic triamniotic triplets were prenatally diagnosed with TTTS and treated with FLC. The median gestational ages (GAs) at diagnosis and FLC were 20.3 and 20.5 weeks, respectively. The median GA of survivors at delivery was 32.5 weeks. The overall at least one twin- and double-survival rates within 28 days after birth were 82.1% and 55.5%, respectively. The GAs at diagnosis and FLC, Quintero stage, inter-twin weight discordance, associated selective intrauterine growth restriction (sIUGR), procedure time, volume of amnioreduction, preterm prelabor rupture of membranes (PPROM) within one week after FLC, intraoperative intrauterine bleeding, and chorioamnionitis were significant predictive factors of perinatal death. Associated sIUGR, absent end-diastolic flow of umbilical artery, and abnormal cord insertion were significantly associated with donor demise in utero, whereas lower GA at diagnosis and FLC, smaller twins at FLC, pulsatile umbilical vein, and presence of mitral regurgitation were significantly associated with recipient demise in utero. Since the application of the Solomon technique, the survival rate has improved from 75.4% to 88.8%. The FLC before 17 weeks was associated with PPROM within one week after FLC and lower survival rate, whereas that after 24 weeks was associated with twin anemia-polycythemia sequence and higher survival rate. We reached a survival rate of 82% for at least one survival with only 12 procedures. Conclusions FLC is an effective treatment for TTTS. The learning curve reached the acceptable target faster than in previous studies. Several prenatal parameters are identified as predictive factors of fetal survival in TTTS treated with FLC.

Twin to twin transfusion syndrome.

Twin to twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) is a common complication that typically presents in the second trimester of pregnancy in 10–15% of monochorionic twins due to net transfer of volume and hormonal substances from one twin to the other across vascular anastomoses on the placenta. Without recognition and treatment, TTTS is the greatest contributor to fetal loss prior to viability in 90–100% of advanced cases. Ultrasound diagnosis of monochorionicity is most reliable in the first trimester and sets the monitoring strategy for this type of twins. The diagnosis of TTTS is made by ultrasound with the findings of polyhydramnios due to volume overload and polyuria in one twin and oligohydramnios due to oliguria of the co-twin. Assessment of bladder filling as well as arterial and venous Doppler patterns are required for staging disease severity. Assessment of fetal cardiac function also provides additional insight into the fetal cardiovascular impacts of the disease as well as help identify fetuses that may require postnatal follow up. Fetoscopic laser ablation of the communicating vascular anastomoses between the twins is the standard treatment for TTTS. It aims to cure the condition by interrupting the link between their circulations and making them independent of one another. Contemporary outcome data after laser surgery suggests survival for both fetuses can be anticipated in up to 65% of cases and survival of a single fetus in up to 88% of cases. However, preterm birth remains a significant contributor to postnatal morbidity and mortality. Long term outcomes of TTTS survivors indicate that up to 11% of children may show signs of neurologic impairment. Strategies to minimize preterm birth after treatment and standardized reporting by laser centers are important considerations to improve overall outcomes and understand the long-term impacts of TTTS.

Twin-twin transfusion syndrome - a University Hospital experience with intrauterine treatment.

twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS), defined by combination of polyhydramnios-oligohydramnios, is the most prevalent (5%-35%) of the abnormalities due to placental vascular anastomoses and the most lethal (80%-100% mortality) if untreated. Fetoscopic laser ablation of abnormal vasculature using the Solomon technique is the gold standard approach. It consists of interrupting the intertwin blood flow. to present our initial experience at the Fetal Surgery Service of the Hospital de Clinicas of the Federal University of Parana (HC-UFPR) and to compare our results with those reported in the literature. we conducted a retrospective analysis of pregnancies who had undergone laser ablation, assessing data on Quintero's staging, gestational age at diagnosis and at the time of the procedure, placental position, immediate post-procedure survival, and survival after the neonatal period. We then compared these data with the most recent data available in the literature. we analyzed ten TTTS cases. The diagnosis was performed before the 26th week of pregnancy (median 20.8 weeks) and treatment occurred in a median of 9.5 days later. The distribution by the Quintero's staging was of three cases in stage II, five in stage III, and two in stage IV. In 50% of the gestations, at least one of the fetuses survived through the neonatal period. the treatment of TTTS in the HC-UFPR had a positive impact in the survival of the affected fetuses, although the results were worse than the ones reported in the literature, probably due to the delay in referencing the patients to our service, leading to a prolonged interval between diagnosis and treatment.

FetNet: a recurrent convolutional network for occlusion identification in fetoscopic videos

PurposeFetoscopic laser photocoagulation is a minimally invasive surgery for the treatment of twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS). By using a lens/fibre-optic scope, inserted into the amniotic cavity, the abnormal placental vascular anastomoses are identified and ablated to regulate blood flow to both fetuses. Limited field-of-view, occlusions due to fetus presence and low visibility make it difficult to identify all vascular anastomoses. Automatic computer-assisted techniques may provide better understanding of the anatomical structure during surgery for risk-free laser photocoagulation and may facilitate in improving mosaics from fetoscopic videos.MethodsWe propose FetNet, a combined convolutional neural network (CNN) and long short-term memory (LSTM) recurrent neural network architecture for the spatio-temporal identification of fetoscopic events. We adapt an existing CNN architecture for spatial feature extraction and integrated it with the LSTM network for end-to-end spatio-temporal inference. We introduce differential learning rates during the model training to effectively utilising the pre-trained CNN weights. This may support computer-assisted interventions (CAI) during fetoscopic laser photocoagulation.ResultsWe perform quantitative evaluation of our method using 7 in vivo fetoscopic videos captured from different human TTTS cases. The total duration of these videos was 5551 s (138,780 frames). To test the robustness of the proposed approach, we perform 7-fold cross-validation where each video is treated as a hold-out or test set and training is performed using the remaining videos.ConclusionFetNet achieved superior performance compared to the existing CNN-based methods and provided improved inference because of the spatio-temporal information modelling. Online testing of FetNet, using a Tesla V100-DGXS-32GB GPU, achieved a frame rate of 114 fps. These results show that our method could potentially provide a real-time solution for CAI and automating occlusion and photocoagulation identification during fetoscopic procedures.

Current Practice and Protocols: Endoscopic Laser Therapy for Twin-Twin Transfusion Syndrome

Abstract The pathophysiology of twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) is complex, and its understanding has evolved along with the evolution and revolution of fetal diagnostic and therapeutic techniques. Over the last few decades, several therapeutic interventions have been researched for improving the outcomes in TTTS. We present a summary of the current protocols for surveillance, diagnosis, and staging of TTTS in monochorionic pregnancies. We also describe in detail the technique for treatment of TTTS by endoscopic laser photocoagulation.

Laser treatment of twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS): preliminary findings from a tertiary center in Greece

Background: Twin- to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) affects approximately 15% of monochorionic twin pregnancies with an estimated incidence of 1 in 1,600 pregnancies. The gold standard of care is considered to be Fetoscopic Laser Photocoagulation Therapy (FLPT). Objective: To present our experience with FLPT in a preliminary prospective observational study. Materials and methods: Fourteen patients who underwent FLPT in the Fetal Maternal Medicine Unit of Attikon University Hospital, between January 2017 and August 2018. Fetoscopic laser photocoagulation was offered to all patients with pregnancies complicated by TTTS (Quintero stage &gt;2), before the completion of 26 weeks of gestation. Results: The mean gestational age at diagnosis was 22.2 ± 2.6 weeks, at surgery 23.1±1.9 weeks and at birth 29.8±3.3 weeks. Mean interval from surgery to delivery was 6.6±3.1 weeks and mean neonatal birthweight was 1426±408 grams. Mean recipient’s weight at delivery was 1652±283gr, whereas mean donor’s weight at delivery was 1299 ± 402gr. Concerning fetal viability, ten (71,4%) donor fetuses survived to full term whereas 4 (28,6%) donor fetuses died in utero. The survival rate of recipient fetuses reached 85,7% which is very good according to the literature. In total 22 fetuses (78,6%) were alive at birth and survived the first 6 months of life and in 6 cases an intrauterine demise occurred (21,4%). In 10 pregnancies (71,4%) both fetuses survived, in 2 (14,3%) both died and in 12 pregnancies (85,7%) there was at least one survivor. Conclusion: These preliminary results support the use of FPLT in Greece as the percentage of live neonates that was reached is comparable to those published in larger studies in the international literature. We are confident that with increasing experience and new instrumentation, these results will become even better and this service will accept more cases all over Greece.

Deep-learned placental vessel segmentation for intraoperative video enhancement in fetoscopic surgery.

Twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) is a potentially lethal condition that affects pregnancies in which twins share a single placenta. The definitive treatment for TTTS is fetoscopic laser photocoagulation, a procedure in which placental blood vessels are selectively cauterized. Challenges in this procedure include difficulty in quickly identifying placental blood vessels due to the many artifacts in the endoscopic video that the surgeon uses for navigation. We propose using deep-learned segmentations of blood vessels to create masks that can be recombined with the original fetoscopic video frame in such a way that the location of placental blood vessels is discernable at a glance. In a process approved by an institutional review board, intraoperative videos were acquired from ten fetoscopic laser photocoagulation surgeries performed at Yale New Haven Hospital. A total of 345 video frames were selected from these videos at regularly spaced time intervals. The video frames were segmented once by an expert human rater (a clinician) and once by a novice, but trained human rater (an undergraduate student). The segmentations were used to train a fully convolutional neural network of 25 layers. The neural network was able to produce segmentations with a high similarity to ground truth segmentations produced by an expert human rater (sensitivity = 92.15% ± 10.69%) and produced segmentations that were significantly more accurate than those produced by a novice human rater (sensitivity = 56.87% ± 21.64%; p < 0.01). A convolutional neural network can be trained to segment placental blood vessels with near-human accuracy and can exceed the accuracy of novice human raters. Recombining these segmentations with the original fetoscopic video frames can produced enhanced frames in which blood vessels are easily detectable. This has significant implications for aiding fetoscopic surgeons-especially trainees who are not yet at an expert level.

Fetoscopic laser photocoagulation for twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome treatment: initial experience in tertiary reference center in Brazil.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the initial maternal and perinatal outcomes of fetoscopic laser photocoagulation for the treatment of twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) in a referral center in Brazil.MethodsThis prospective observational study analyzed 24 fetoscopic laser photocoagulation procedures at 18–26 weeks of gestation. TTTS severity was determined using the Quintero classification. Blood vessels that crossed the interamniotic membrane were nonselectively photocoagulated. The χ2 test and Mann-Whitney U test were used for the statistical analysis.ResultsThe mean (±standard deviation) age of pregnant women, gestational age at surgery, surgical time, gestational age at birth, and newborn weight were 32.2±4.1 years, 20.7±2.9 weeks, 51.8±16.7 minutes, 30.5±4.1 weeks, and 1,531.0±773.1 g, respectively. Using the Quintero classification, there was a higher percentage of cases in stage III (54.2%), followed by stages IV (20.8%), II (16.7%), and I (8.3%). Ten (41.7%) donor fetuses died and 14 (58.3%) donor fetuses survived until the end of gestation. Placental insertion location (anterior vs. posterior) did not affect the incidence of iatrogenic septostomy, surface bleeding, and premature rupture of membranes until the end of gestation. The death rate of donor and recipient fetuses before 24th gestational week increased with severity of TTTS.ConclusionThe maternal and perinatal outcomes resulting from the implementation of a new minimally invasive surgical technique are in line with those obtained in major centers worldwide, considering the learning curves and infrastructures.

Fetoscopic laser photocoagulation in twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome: experience from a single institution.

Twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) is the most common serious complication of monochorionic (MC) twin pregnancies, with perinatal mortality rates of up to 90% if untreated. This study aimed to review the perinatal and perioperative outcomes of MC twin pregnancies treated for TTTS by fetoscopic laser photocoagulation (FLP) since its introduction at KK Women's and Children's Hospital (KKH), Singapore, in 2011. This was a retrospective review of five consecutive patients who underwent FLP of placental anastomoses for TTTS at KKH from June 2011 to March 2014. FLP was offered to patients who were diagnosed with TTTS of at least Quintero Stage II before 26 weeks of gestation. The main outcome measures were perioperative complications and perinatal survival rates. Five sets of MC twin pregnancies underwent FLP during the study period - three pregnancies were diagnosed with Stage III TTTS and two pregnancies with Stage II TTTS. Median gestational ages at initial presentation, laser photocoagulation and delivery were 19 (range 17-20) weeks, 20 (range 19-23) weeks and 29 (range 28-34) weeks, respectively. One patient had bleeding into the amniotic cavity intraprocedurally. Overall, the perinatal survival rate, double-infant survival rate and survival rate for at least one twin were 60% (6/10 fetuses), 40% (2/5 twins) and 80% (4/5 twins), respectively. FLP is a feasible treatment for TTTS, with minimal maternal complications. Perinatal survival rates of this patient group that was managed at our centre were comparable to those of international centres.

Solomon Technique Versus Selective Coagulation for Twin–Twin Transfusion Syndrome

Monochorionic twin pregnancies can be complicated by twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS). The best treatment option for TTTS is fetoscopic laser coagulation of the vascular anastomoses between donor and recipient. After laser therapy, up to 33% residual anastomoses were seen. These residual anastomoses can cause twin anemia polycythemia sequence (TAPS) and recurrent TTTS. In order to reduce the number of residual anastomoses and their complications, a new technique, the Solomon technique, where the whole vascular equator will be coagulated, was introduced. The Solomon technique showed a reduction of recurrent TTS compared to the selective technique. The incidence of recurrent TTTS after the Solomon technique ranged from 0% to 3.9% compared to 5.3-8.5% after the selective technique. The incidence of TAPS after the Solomon technique ranged from 0% to 2.9% compared to 4.2-15.6% after the selective technique. The Solomon technique may improve dual survival rates ranging from 64% to 85% compared to 46-76% for the selective technique. There was no difference reported in procedure-related complications such as intrauterine infection and preterm premature rupture of membranes. The Solomon technique significantly reduced the incidence of TAPS and recurrent TTTS and may improve survival and neonatal outcome, without identifiable adverse outcome or complications; therefore, the Solomon technique is recommended for the treatment of TTTS.

Balancing Patient Access to Fetoscopic Laser Photocoagulation for Twin-to-Twin Transfusion Syndrome With Maintaining Procedural Competence: Are Collaborative Services Part of the Solution?

The benefits of fetoscopic laser photocoagulation (FLP) for treatment of twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) have been recognized for over a decade, yet access to FLP remains limited in many settings. This means at a population level, the potential benefits of FLP for TTTS are far from being fully realized. In part, this is because there are many centers where the case volume is relatively low. This creates an inevitable tension; on one hand, wanting FLP to be readily accessible to all women who may need it, yet on the other, needing to ensure that a high degree of procedural competence is maintained. Some of the solutions to these apparently competing priorities may be found in novel training solutions to achieve, and maintain, procedural proficiency, and with the increased utilization of 'competence based' assessment and credentialing frameworks. We suggest an under-utilized approach is the development of collaborative surgical services, where pooling of personnel and resources can improve timely access to surgery, improve standardized assessment and management of TTTS, minimize the impact of the surgical learning curve, and facilitate audit, education, and research. When deciding which centers should offer laser for TTTS and how we decide, we propose some solutions from a collaborative model.

Analysis of clinical outcome and impact factors of twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome with anterior placenta treated by fetoscopic laser photocoagulation

To analyze the clinical outcome and impact factors of twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) with anterior placenta treated by fetoscopic selective laser coagulation of placental vessels (SLCPV). Ten cases of TTTS with anterior placenta and 8 cases with posterior placenta were treated by SLCPV in Shengjing Hospital from July 2011 to April 2014. Clinical data were analyzed retrospectively. Some cases were at Quintero stage II or higher stage, others were at Quintero stage I but with cardiovascular score ≥ 5 according to the scoring system of Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. The anterior placenta cases were treated by curve fetoscopy and the posterior placenta cases were treated by straight fetoscopy. (1) Of all the 18 cases, the mean gestational age at SLCPV was 24.1 weeks (17(+5) to 27(+4) weeks). There were 2 cases at Quintero stage I, 4 at stage II and 12 at stage III. The mean gestational age of anterior placenta cases at SLCPV was 25.2 weeks (22 to 27(+4) weeks), with 2 cases at Quintero stage I, 2 cases at stage II and 6 at stage III; 5 cases had preterm prelabour rupture of the membranes (PPROM) and 1 case had maternal intestinal obstruction after the operation; the average operation time was 40 minutes. Of the posterior placenta cases, the mean gestational age at SLCPV was 22.7 weeks (17(+5) to 27(+4) weeks); 2 cases were at Quintero stage II and 6 cases at stage III. PPROM happened in one case; one case had maternal enterobacter cloacae septicemia; the average operation time was 28 minutes. All the 18 cases could tolerate the operations. There was no intraoperative complication. (2) One anterior placenta case had maternal intestinal obstruction and miscarriage; and one posterior placenta case had enterobacter cloacae septicemia. Karyotype analyses of the all the twins were normal. (3) 17 cases delivered already, including all the 10 anterior placenta cases and 7 posterior placenta cases. One infant had corpus callosum agenesis, but its co-twin was normal. The average gestational age at delivery for anterior placenta cases was 32.6 weeks (24 to 37(+1) weeks), an was 28.2 weeks (25(+6) to 36(+2) weeks) for posterior placenta cases. The fetuses survival rate was 13/17 (one case was still in pregnancy) for at least one twin, and 10/17 for both twins. Both twins survival rates were 5/10, 5/7 for anterior placenta cases and posterior placenta cases, respectively. At least one twin survival rates were 8/10, 5/7 for the two groups respectively. SLCPV is suitable for the treatment of TTTS, no matter the placenta is on the anterior wall or posterior wall. The treatment had good outcomes, but more PPROM happened in the anterior placenta cases, which may be associated with operation time and the range of operation.

Outcome of fetoscopic laser ablation for twin‐to‐twin transfusion syndrome in dichorionic–triamniotic triplets compared with monochorionic–diamniotic twins

To compare outcome of dichorionic-triamniotic (DCTA) triplet gestations with that of a paired cohort of monochorionic-diamniotic (MCDA) twin gestations undergoing laser therapy for treatment of twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS). All DCTA triplets treated at four referral centers between specified dates were included. A matched cohort group of MCDA twin gestations affected by TTTS was used for comparison. Sixteen sets of DCTA triplets treated with laser photocoagulation of placental anastomoses were compared with 32 matched sets of MCDA twins. All of the 'singleton' fetuses in the triplet gestations survived to birth and to the end of the neonatal period. There were no differences in single or double survival or the rate of non-survivors to birth and at age 28 days. A mean 3-week difference was found in the procedure-to-delivery interval in DCTA triplets vs MCDA twins (60 ± 35.8 days vs 83.6 ± 33.2 days; P = 0.029). A mean difference of 3 weeks was also found in the gestational age at delivery in DCTA triplets vs MCDA twins (28.5 ± 3.5 weeks vs 31.9 ± 5 weeks; P = 0.024). A similar post-laser fetal growth pattern in donors and recipients of both groups was noted. DCTA triplet gestations with TTTS have a similar rate of post-laser survival but deliver earlier than can be expected for twins treated with laser. These findings have potential implications for the risk of prematurity and long-term outcomes.

Long term developmental outcomes of pre-school age children following laser surgery for twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome

BackgroundLaser therapy is now a well recognised treatment for twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS). We investigated the early childhood neurodevelopmental outcome of children post laser treatment for TTTS in our centre. MethodsChildren of women who had laser therapy for TTTS between March 2006 and June 2008 were assessed at 30–69months of age with WPPSI-III and a general health questionnaire. Major neurodevelopmental impairment (NDI) was reported as IQ<70 or cerebral palsy (CP). Borderline cognitive impairment was defined by IQ 70–79. ResultsAmongst the 37 pregnancies treated, 62 infants were discharged home and the overall foetal survival rate was 84%. A total of 50 children (84%) from 31 pregnancies were assessed. Average age at assessment was 47months. Two children with late treatment of congenital hypothyroidism were excluded. The majority of pregnancies were Quintero Stage III (74%). There was a significant trend for worse outcome with higher Quintero stage. The average gestational age at birth was 32weeks. The majority (39, 78%) of children were found to be neurodevelopmentally normal; 9 (18%) had borderline cognitive development; and 2 (4%) had a major NDI, including one with cerebral palsy (2%). ConclusionsThere was a modest level of neurocognitive impairment post laser therapy for TTTS, mainly borderline cognitive development, lesser so major NDI. There was a low incidence of cerebral palsy. Routine developmental and neurological follow-up of these children is recommended.