Selective feticide in monochorionic twin pregnancies by ultrasound-guided umbilical cord occlusion

To evaluate the feasibility and the follow-up of three different ultrasound-guided procedures of selective feticide in monochorionic twin pregnancies.

This was a retrospective observational study of patients who underwent percutaneous umbilical cord occlusion between July 1993 and January 2002 after diagnosis of previable, abnormal, monochorionic twin pregnancy, with imminent cardiac failure of one of the fetuses. Selective feticide was performed under general anesthesia using three different ultrasound-guided techniques: cord ligation using a suture (four cases), cord coagulation using bipolar forceps (five cases) and cord compression by squeezing the cord against the uterine wall (two cases).

During the study period, 11 patients underwent selective feticide before 28 weeks' gestation in our department (eight recipient twins with twin-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS), one of which also had a congenital diaphragmatic hernia, and three acardiac twins). One procedure failed due to maternal hemorrhage following insertion of the trocar (both fetuses died after emergency Cesarean section). One cotwin died a few minutes after the procedure and one survivor died within the neonatal period. The mean gestational age at the time of the procedure was 24 weeks of gestation and the mean gestational age at delivery was 31.1 weeks. Premature rupture of membranes occurred in four cases. Eight babies were alive and well at the time of writing.

Ultrasound guidance can enable selective feticide to be performed via a single port. Although bipolar coagulation seemed to be the easiest technique, the choice of procedure depends on local conditions.