RESEARCH: “Advances in fetal therapy in complicated monochorionic pregnancies and in severe congenital diaphragmatic hernia: five years experience”

Minimally invasive fetal therapeutic procedures reduce the morbidity and mortality in monochorionic (MC) twins  and in fetuses with congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH). MC pregnancies share their blood systems due to communicating vessels over their single placenta and may develop specific complications: Twin-to-Twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS), Selective intrauterine growth restriction (sIUGR), Twin Anemia-Polycythemia Sequence (TAPS), Twin Reverse Arterial Perfusion Syndrome (TRAP) or anomalies in one. Half of complicated MC require intrauterine interventions. Severe CDH is linked to a high rate of neonatal death due to pulmonary hypoplasia. Fetoscopic tracheal occlusion (FETO) with a balloon improves postnatal outcome.A fetal therapy center was established in the Hadassah Medical Centers, Jerusalem in 2011 for intrauterine interventions. We report our 5 years’ experience.

Read more here: http://europepmc.org/abstract/med/29582948