Stage-related outcome after fetoscopic laser ablation in twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome.

AIM: To review the perinatal outcome of twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) treated with fetoscopic laser coagulation in a developing country with detailed analysis according to the stage of the syndrome.

METHODS

This was a retrospective study of 85 TTTS cases treated with fetoscopic laser coagulation at the Fetal Diagnosis and Treatment Unit of Istanbul Faculty of Medicine between January 2006 and March 2013.

RESULTS

The surgical failure rate was 5.8% (5/85). Among all the cases of the total cohort, only 1 fetus survived in 27 pregnancies (31.8%), and both fetuses survived in 22 pregnancies (25.9%). In 49 pregnancies (57.6%) at least one fetus survived at the end of the neonatal period. The overall survival and live birth rates were 41.8% (71/170) and 56.4% (96/170), respectively, and they significantly decreased as the stage of disease increased. Delivery occurred before 32 weeks of gestation in 54 (63.5%) pregnancies. Logistic regression analysis showed that gestational age at delivery was the only independent factor, and the risk of nonsurvival significantly decreased with increasing age.

CONCLUSION

Based on our experience, the outcome of fetoscopic laser coagulation of the placental anastomoses for TTTS became worse as the Quintero stage of the disease advanced.