Objective: The objective was to determine whether therapeutic amniocentesis may improve outcomes in patients with twin-twin transfusion syndrome.
Study design: Eleven patients were managed aggressively with repetitive serial amniocenteses, and six patients were managed conservatively.
Results: The time interval between diagnosis and delivery was 17.4 days more in the amniodrainage group, but the difference between the groups was not significant (68.3+/-41.9 days in the therapeutic amniocentesis group and 50.83+/-29.7 days in the expectant management group [p=0.384]). The overall survival rate of the two groups was 38.2%, and was not significantly different between groups (40.9% in the amniocentesis group and 33.3% in the expectant management group; p=1.00). Two of nine (22.2%) infants in the amnioreduction group, and one of four (25.0%) infants in the expectantly managed group had neurological symptoms.
Conclusion: Our results did not show a significant benefit of aggressive therapeutic amniocentesis. A slight improvement in perinatal outcome was observed.