Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome

Aired on the series “The Surgeon’s Cut”, Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome (TTTS) is a prenatal condition in which twins share unequal amounts of the placenta's blood supply resulting in the two fetuses growing at different rates.

TTTS is also deadly for the fetus. The unequal distribution of blood to each twin can cause one of the twins to receive an excess amount of blood. This exerts a greater pressure on the circulatory system, causing damage and likely death. Likewise, the other twin receiving insufficient blood form the placenta suffers from malnutrition and development problems.

In complicated cases such as TTTS, minimally invasive surgery gives twins the best chance of survival. The surgery is known as endoscopic laser ablation. The surgeon inserts a laser fibre enclosed in a telescope and separates the blood vessel(s) that run from one twin to the other.

Sources:

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/twintotwin-transfusion-syndrome-ttts

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24512749/

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