Bipolar cord coagulation in the management of complicated monochorionic twin pregnancies

To report our experience in selective termination of monochorionic twin pregnancies with bipolar cord coagulation and to analyze the pregnancy outcomes and complications based on the indication of the procedure.

This is a retrospective study of 71 complicated monochorionic pregnancies treated with bipolar cord coagulation between August 2006 and March 2013.

The rates of live birth and survival up to 28 days after birth were 73.2% (52/71) and 63.4% (45/71), respectively. The highest rates of survival up to 28 days after birth were in the procedures with an indication of selective intrauterine growth restriction, while the lowest rates of survival were recorded with the indication of twin reversed arterial perfusion sequence and discordant anomaly. However, there were no statistically significant differences in the live birth and perinatal survival rates among the four different groups of indications.

The survival rate of bipolar cord coagulation in complicated monochorionic pregnancies such as twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome, twin reversed arterial perfusion sequence, selective intrauterine growth restriction and discordant anomaly was 63% in our series.