Treatment options

Serial amnioreduction (drainage of amniotic fluid)
During this procedure, amniotic fluid is drained through a needle inserted into the amniotic sac of the recipient through the wall of the uterus. This treatment reduces the risk of premature delivery, but the effects of TTTS on the twins often remain unchanged. Only in about 20% of cases is TTTS eliminated.

The advantage of this treatment is that it can be performed almost anywhere. The disadvantages are the risk of miscarriage associated with any amnioreduction and the fact that the twins usually continue to be affected by TTTS.

Laser therapy
If successful, this treatment eliminates the cause of twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome by occluding the connecting blood vessels in the placenta with a laser, stopping the blood flow from donor to recipient and removing the strain on the twins. If all misrouted blood vessels are occluded during the procedure, the twins are able to continue normal development under balanced conditions. This treatment can only be performed in a few European hospitals. Our clinic is one of them.

A posterior placenta is ideal. An anterior placenta or previous amnioreductions may make the procedure technically more difficult, prompting the use of a special fetoscope specifically designed for this purpose.

Please direct your treatment request to the UKE International Office.

More information about the subject is available at

www.twin2twin.org
www.twinhope.com