A Case of Successful Selective Abortion Using Radio-frequency Ablation in Twin Pregnancy Suffering from Severe Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome

• Published in: Journal of Korean medical science Vol. 24; no. 3; pp. 513 - 516
• Main Authors: Chang, Eun-Mi, Park, Mi-Hye, Kim, Young-Ju, Kim, Jong-Il, Ahn, Jung-Ja, Chun, Sun-Hee
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Korea (South) The Korean Academy of Medical Sciences 01.06.2009; 대한의학회
• Subjects: Abortion, Eugenic - methods; Adult; Case Report; Catheter Ablation; Female; Fetofetal Transfusion - diagnosis; Fetofetal Transfusion - diagnostic imaging; Gestational Age; Humans; Pregnancy; Twins; Twins, Monozygotic; Ultrasonography; 의학일반; Pregnancy Reduction, Multifetal; Radiofrequency Ablation; Monochorionic Twins
• ISSN: 1011-8934; 1598-6357; 1598-6357
• DOI: 10.3346/jkms.2009.24.3.513

Twin to twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) is one of the major complication of monochorionic twin pregnancy which is mainly understood by placental vascular anastomosis. Perinatal mortality and morbidity is high as 80-100% if untreated and even higher if the disease is developed at early stage. Variety of methods of isolating or intercepting placental vascular anastomosis are introduced, but they are only available in centers where all the required equipments are prepared. We report here a case of TTTS complicated with severe polyhydroamnios during the second trimester. The blood supply to donor twin was interrupted successfully at 19(+2) weeks of gestation by minimally invasive radio-frequency cord ablation, under ultrasound guidance. The normal recipient twin was delivered successfully at 35 weeks of gestation and had no eventful neonatal course.