Objective To evaluate the surgery outcomes of fetoscopic laser ablation (FLA) for selective umbilical cord in treating twin-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) with special conditions and neonatal outcomes post-operation. Methods A prospective study, 21 monochorionic diamniotic (MCDA) twins diagnosed with TTTS stage II–IV according to Quintero classification from 16 to 26 weeks of gestation, among that, 12 cases of TTTS stage II with selective intrauterine growth restriction (sIUGR), 6 cases of TTTS stage II with proximate cord insertions, 3 cases of TTTS stage IV underwent fetoscopic laser ablation for the selective fetal reduction at Hanoi Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital from September 2019 to July 2021. Complications and surgical outcomes were noted. Prenatal care was carried out every 2 weeks post operation until birth. Newborn neurologic complications were assessed at birth, three months, and six months after birth using Denver II test and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Results The mean gestational age at operation was 20.30 weeks. The average operation duration was 39.52 minutes. No complications of operation, such as bleeding or infection, were recorded. The mean gestational age at birth was 34.70 ± 4.33 weeks, with a mean duration of 12.97 ± 6.87 weeks between intervention and delivery. The survival rate of newborns after the operation was 90.48%. There were two stillbirths (9.52%) within seven days after the operation. No short-term neurological complications have been reported with follow-up of the newborn to 6 months after birth. Conclusion Our study showed that fetoscopic laser ablation of selected fetal reduction surgery for treatment of special conditions of TTTS had no complications of operation, high neonatal survival result (90.48%), no short-term neurological complications. This should be considered for TTTS in cases of indication.

Twin-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) is an unusual and serious condition that occurs in twin pregnancies when identical twins share a placenta but develop discordant amniotic fluid volumes. TTTS is associated with an increased risk of fetal death and birth defects if untreated. This study investigated the soluble levels of biomarkers including growth factors and interleukins in pregnant women with and without TTTS during pregnancy. We quantified plasma levels of VEGF-R1, VEGF-R2, IL-1β, IL-6 and IL-8 in twin pregnant women with (n=53) and without TTTS (n=72) and in women with single pregnancy (n=30) by ELISA and analyzed the association of maternal circulating biomarker levels with TTTS. Our results showed that maternal VEGF-R1 levels were significantly higher in twins compared to single pregnancy (P<0.05) and were decreased in the second trimester compared to the first trimester (P = 0.065, 0.019 and 0.072 for twins with and without TTTS and single pregnancy, respectively). VEGF-R2 levels had a trend to be lower in twins compared to single pregnancy. In addition, soluble VEGF-R1 and VEGF-R2 levels were significantly decreased while IL-6 levels were increased after surgical treatment with laser in twin pregnant women with TTTS (P = 0.016, 0.041 and 0.04, respectively). These results suggest that IL-6, VEGF-R1 and VEGF-R2 are involved in vascular regulation and stabilization in twin pregnancies and may contribute to the pathogenesis of TTTS and thus play a prognostic role in the surgical treatment of TTTS.

Twin-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) is an unusual and serious condition that occurs in twin pregnancies when identical twins share a placenta but develop discordant amniotic fluid volumes. The TTTS has a high risk of fetal death and birth defects if left untreated. IL-1β, IL-6 and IL-8 have been shown to play an important role in preterm birth in twin pregnancies, which is one of the consequences of TTTS. This study quantified plasma levels of IL-1β, IL-6 and IL-8 in twin pregnant women with (n = 52) and without TTTS (n = 73) by ELISA and analyzed the association of interleukin expression levels with TTTS. The results showed that plasma concentrations of IL-1β and IL-8 were low and not significantly different between the first trimester and the second trimester of pregnancy, between the patients with and without TTTS or between patients with TTTS before and after treatment. IL-6 levels showed no significant difference between first trimester and second trimester of pregnancy or between patients with and without TTTS. Importantly, IL-6 levels were significantly elevated in TTTS patients after surgical treatment compared to those before surgical treatment. In conclusion, IL-6 may be considered as a potential marker for the prognosis of surgical treatment of TTTS.