Twin To Twin Transfusion Syndrome

Question: Has anyone else been diagnosed with Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome? I am 25 weeks preggers and just got the diagnosis of twin to twin transfusion syndrome. Has anyone else experienced this? IF so how far along were you and how are your babies doing now? I'm really scared and worried and wondering of anyone else has experienced somethign similar.

Answer: It is good that you are reaching out for support from others who have also gone through this. No, I've not had the experience. My prayers are with you and your family, as well. I just want to share this web site ( I can imagine you may have already been given this resource?) and suggest that they may be the best place for you to find a connection to others who have gone through this. It appears great advances have been made in the care of TTTS pregnancies and the odds are now much greater for successful outcomes as a result. http://www.tttsfoundation.org/

Question: Twin to twin transfusion syndrome? what are the chances of both surviving?please help.? ? my neices (unborn identical twin girls) were just diagnosed with twin to twin transfusion syndrome (ttts). they are only 25 weeks Along. have you had any experience with this syndrome? have you lived threw it? do you know what the chances are of both of them surviving without long term reprocusions? any information you can give please, thank you so much. if you want to, please, pray for them? im not religious but anything can help. thank you.

Answer: I'm not positive of the answers to all your questions but alot will depend on how severe the ttts is. There are surgery options that can help both babies. The best place to get questions answered and find support is at the TTTS Foundation http://www.tttsfoundation.org/index.html I will keep your nieces in my prayers

Question: twin to twin transfusion syndrome? what are the chances of both surviving?please help.? ? my neices (unborn identical twin girls) were just diagnosed with twin to twin transfusion syndrome (ttts). they are only 25 weeks Along. have you had any experience with this syndrome? have you lived threw it? do you know what the chances are of both of them surviving without long term reprocusions? any information you can give please, thank you so much. if you want to, please, pray for them? im not religious but anything can help. thank you.

Answer: This is the best site I have come across pertaining to this particular issue with twin pregnancy and TTTS: http://www.texaschildrens.org/CareCenter… It includes helpful illustrations, statistics, causes, and treatments. It should be of great help to your family. Best of luck!

Question: twin to twin transfusion syndrome has anyone had laser coagulation for this syndrome? 19 wks with identical twins and ttts was diagnosed three wks ago might nd laser surgery tried to research it on the net but everythings american please help !!!!!

Answer: Hey hun, don't panic, check you emails, from what I was told, they fly you to London, you have the laser surgery, then your home 2 days later, I was meant to go on the Wednesday and I'd be home on the Friday, they use lasers to block cells that the twins are sharing, so that each baby only has their own blood supply, laser surgery totally wipes out TTTS, unlike the amniotic drainage, again don't worry, like I've said if they thought more than 50% that you had TTTS then you would have been on the next flight to London, it's all if's and buts, doesn't do much for your stress levels though, just keep thinking positive, with each week you get to the chances of two healthy babies is greater, and again follow your instincts, they're not normally wrong!

Question: twin to twin transfusion syndrome: what are the chances of survival? if your twins get diagnosed with tts in early pregnancy what are the chances of both of them surviving if you undergo laser surgery? or one of them surving? please help

Answer: Laser Therapy This procedure involves endoscopic surgery using laser to interrupt the vessels that allow exchange of blood between fetuses under the assumption that the unequal sharing of blood through these vascular communications leads to unequal levels of amniotic fluid. Each fetus remains connected to its primary source of blood and nutrition, the placenta, through the umbilical cord. This procedure is conducted once, with the exception of all vessels not having been found. The use of endoscopic instruments allows for short recovery time. This procedure has been associated with 85% survival rate of at least one fetus, with a 5% risk of cerebral palsy and average delivery occurring at 33-39 weeks' gestation

Question: What is known regarding TTTS twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome? The identical girls are different sizes. One is very small and one is much larger. The babies share a placenta but each is in its individual sac. A procedure was done to make one sac smaller so they can both grow equally. Now we wait and watch.

Answer: Twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS, also known as Feto-Fetal Transfusion Syndrome (FFTS) and Twin Oligohydramnios-Polyhydramnios Sequence (TOPS)) is a complication with high morbidity and mortality that can affect identical twin or higher multiple pregnancies where two or more fetuses share a common (monochorionic) placenta. Severe TTTS has a 60-100% mortality rate. TTTS is believed to affect roughly 1 in 1000 pregnancies As a result of sharing a single placenta, the blood supplies of the fetuses can become connected, so that the fetuses have a shared circulation: although each fetus uses its side of the placenta, the blood vessels connecting the twins allow blood to pass from one twin to the other. Depending on the number, type and direction of the interconnecting blood vessels (anastomoses), blood can be transferred disproportionately from one twin (the "donor") to the other (the "recipient"). The transfusion causes the donor twin to have decreased blood volume, retarding the donor's development and growth, and also decreased urinary output, leading to a lower than normal level of amniotic fluid (becoming oligohydramnios). The blood volume of the recipient is increased, which can strain the fetus's heart and eventually lead to heart failure, and also higher than normal urinary output, which can lead to excess amniotic fluid (becoming polyhydramnios). In early pregnancy (before 26 weeks), TTTS can cause both fetuses to die, or lead to severe disabilities. If TTTS develops after 26 weeks, the babies can usually be delivered and have a greater chance of survival without disability. Other than requiring a monochorionic-diamniotic twin (or higher multiple) pregnancy, the causes of TTTS are not known, and its incidence is believed to be random.[citation needed] It is not known to be hereditary or genetic. There are a number of different therapies used to treat TTTS, with varying rates of success. The oldest, most traditional treatment is through serial amniocentesis, which involves periodically draining amniotic fluid from around the recipient twin in an effort to reduce the pressure of the amniotic fluid. Because serial amniocentesis increases the risk of premature delivery, it has limited success when performed early in pregnancy, especially before fetal viability. TTTS can also be treated by surgery during pregnancy, using fetoscopy to find the interconnecting blood vessels, and a laser beam to coagulate the blood in these vessels, blocking them. This is called fetoscopic laser ablation, and is only performed in a few hospitals worldwide. Outcomes vary widely from case to case, but as of this writing overall statistics of fetoscopic laser ablation indicate a 75% chance that at least one twin will survive. The overall survival rate is 50 - 60%.

Question: Can Twin-To-Twin Transfusion Syndrome happen in other identical multiples? Such as identical triplets?

Answer: Yes, it can.

Question: anyone experienced twin to twin transfusion syndrome? my surviving twin was born at 29 wks was very small. when i was carriyng m twins i got told it could be disabled or get a bleed on the brain after. anyone heard of this. i have just want to here from u. thank you

Answer: My best friend did. Her daughters were born by c-section 12 weeks early. One was still born and the other was in NICU for 6 weeks. She is now 5 and though very small, she is very very healthy! I am so sorry for your loss. Please make sure you get some counseling and have a good support system - also...give yourself time to grieve.

Question: Twin to twin transfusion syndrome anyone? Anyone out there also have TTTS? My twin girls were diagnosed 4 1/2 weeks ago. Just wondering if anyone else is going through it and what resources they are using.

Answer: A colleague of mine had twins with TTTS. She had laser surgery to correct the condition at the USF Fetal Therapy Center in Tampa (Dr. Ruben Quintero). She gave birth to healthy twin girls. I have included a link to the Center's webpage, as well as to the Fetal Hope Foundation.

Question: has anyone heard of twin to twin transfusion syndrome? need to know because i has a stillborn then after my baby was born at 29 wks when i brought her home 2 mths later she became ill and kept stopping breathing at home and then got bllod and fluid on the brain. has anyone had simmilar

Answer: Hi there, I'd never heard of twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome. However, I google searched the syndrome and found the foundation at http://www.tttsfoundation.org They have a story about identical twinsMatthew and Steven who battled with this syndrome at http://www.tttsfoundation.org/promise%20… I think it's a bit complicated but what I found out was that it affects identical twins only, it's not genetic or as a result of anything the mother does while pregnant but happens as a result of random events that lead to an unequal sharing of the placenta. I wish you all the best. Thoughts and Prayers