[Prolongation of a primary twin pregnancy to the 31st week of pregnancy by surgical extraction of the 1st twin in the 17th week of pregnancy for umbilical cord prolapse].

A 24-year-old woman with a twin pregnancy had a premature rupture of membranes (PROM) of the first foetus in the 16th gestational week (gw). After 9 days the umbilical cord prolapsed. In the 17th gw the foetus was extracted by vaginal hysterotomy, because of an inferior anterior wall placenta. The patient remained hospitalised receiving tocolysis, lung maturation induction and prophylactic antibiosis. The pregnancy could be prolonged for 109 days after PROM and 99 days after the extraction of the first twin. The second child was born in the 31st gw by Caesarean section, following uncontrollable labour.