London Hospital Performs World-First Twin-to-Twin Transfusion Treatment on Identical Twins

A medical team at St George's Hospital in London has conducted a world-first treatment for twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) on identical twins Nancy and Margo while they were still in the womb. The procedure, part of a clinical trial, involved selectively shutting down blood vessels in the placenta to correct an imbalance in blood flow between the foetuses.

TTTS occurs in approximately 10-15% of identical twin pregnancies where babies share a placenta, leading to one twin receiving too much blood and the other too little. The conventional treatment, used for the more common form of TTTS, involves laser surgery to disconnect shared vessels. However, Nancy and Margo presented with 'atypical' TTTS, a more severe manifestation where the blood flow imbalance is particularly pronounced, often requiring more intricate intervention.

In this instance, the medical team employed a technique to target and seal off specific vessels, thereby rebalancing the blood supply. The success of this trial offers a new avenue for treating the most challenging cases of TTTS, potentially improving outcomes for pregnancies previously deemed untreatable or at very high risk.