Purpose: To describe the maternal complications due to therapeutic endoscopic procedures in fetal Medicine performed at an university center in Brazil.
Methods: Retrospective observational study including patients treated from April 2007 to May 2010 who underwent laser ablation of placental vessels (LAPV) for severe twin-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS); fetal tracheal occlusion (FETO) and endoscopic removal of tracheal balloon in cases of severe congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH); LAPV with or without bipolar coagulation of the umbilical cord in cases of twin reversed arterial perfusion (TRAP) sequence. The main variables described for each disease/type of surgery were maternal complications and neonatal survival (discharge from nursery).
Results: Fifty-six patients underwent 70 procedures: Severe TTTS (34 patients; 34 surgeries); severe CDH (16 patients; 30 surgeries), and TRAP sequence (6 patients; 6 surgeries). Among 34 women who underwent LAPV for TTTS, two (2/34=5.9%) experienced amniotic fluid leakage to the peritoneal cavity and seven (7/34=20.6%) miscarried after the procedure. Survival of at least one twin was 64.7% (22/34). Among 30 interventions performed in cases of CDH, there was amniotic fluid leakage into the maternal peritoneal cavity in one patient (1/30=3.3%) and premature preterm rupture of membranes after three (3/30=30%) fetoscopies for removal of the tracheal balloon. Infant survival with discharge from nursery was 43.8% (7/16). Among six cases of TRAP sequence, there was bleeding into the peritoneal cavity after surgery in one patient (1/6=16.7%) and neonatal survival with discharge from nursery was 50% (3/6).
Conclusions: In agreement with the available data in literature, at our center, the benefits related to therapeutic endoscopic interventions for TTTS, CDH and TRAP sequence seem to overcome the risks of maternal complications, which were rarely considered severe.