Long-term outcome after intrauterine laser treatment for twin-twin transfusion syndrome.

Twin-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) is a severe complication occurring in about 10% of monochorionic twin pregnancies. The chronic unbalanced transfusion of blood across placental vascular communications from the donor to the recipient twin may lead to impairment of various organ systems in the affected twins. In Hamburg, Germany, since 1995 patients with TTTS were treated with fetoscopic laser coagulation as the first causal therapeutic strategy. All survivors after laser surgery were followed up in the University Children's Hospital in Bonn, Germany. In this article, we summarize long-term follow-up studies from our German study population and compare our results with data from the literature.