{"id":36791,"date":"2025-09-04T16:54:54","date_gmt":"2025-09-04T20:54:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fusfoundation.org\/?post_type=sw_disease_condition&#038;p=36791"},"modified":"2025-09-19T16:49:20","modified_gmt":"2025-09-19T20:49:20","slug":"twin-twin-transfusion-syndrome","status":"publish","type":"sw_disease_condition","link":"https:\/\/www.fusfoundation.org\/diseases-and-conditions\/twin-twin-transfusion-syndrome\/","title":{"rendered":"Twin Twin Transfusion Syndrome\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-focused-ultrasound-therapy-nbsp\">Focused Ultrasound Therapy&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Focused ultrasound is a rapidly evolving, therapeutic technology that could transform the quality of life and decrease the cost of care for patients with twin twin transfusion syndrome. This novel technology focuses beams of ultrasound energy precisely and accurately on targets deep in the body without damaging surrounding normal tissue.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>How it Works<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Where the beams converge, focused ultrasound produces a therapeutic vascular occlusion of the larger placental vessels to one of the twins to try to balance the perfusion between the two twins. This treatment has been accomplished in a small number of patients, and publication of the results is expected soon.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The primary options for treatment of twin twin transfusion syndrome are very limited, and if left untreated, can result in damage to both of the twins. Some situations offer a decision to sacrifice one of the twins to enable the other one to survive.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For certain patients, a non-invasive alternative is a welcome option for patients that have twin twin transfusion syndrome.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Advantages<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Focused ultrasound is non-invasive, so it does not carry added concerns like surgical wound healing or infection.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Focused ultrasound can reach the desired target without damaging surrounding tissue.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It can be repeated, if necessary.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-clinical-trials-nbsp\">Clinical Trials&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>At the present time, there are no clinical trials recruiting patients for focused ultrasound treatment of twin twin transfusion syndrome.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Foundation updates these pages regularly, but with the increasing number of clinical trials, we want to be sure that our audience has the latest information available. Therefore, we also added the website search information for the above trials. If you click\u202f<a href=\"https:\/\/clinicaltrials.gov\/search?cond=Twin%20to%20Twin%20Transfusion%20Syndrome&amp;term=focused%20ultrasound&amp;aggFilters=status:not%20rec\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>here<\/strong><\/a>, it will take you to the latest information available from\u202f<a href=\"https:\/\/www.clinicaltrials.gov\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>https:\/\/www.clinicaltrials.gov\/<\/strong><\/a>.\u202f&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-regulatory-approval-and-reimbursement-nbsp-nbsp\">Regulatory Approval and Reimbursement&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Focused ultrasound treatment for twin twin transfusion syndrome is not yet approved by regulatory bodies or covered by medical insurance companies. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/clinicaltrials.gov\/search?cond=Twin%20to%20Twin%20Transfusion%20Syndrome&amp;term=focused%20ultrasound&amp;aggFilters=status:not%20rec\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">See here for a list of clinical trials sites<\/a>&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-notable-papers-nbsp\">Notable Papers&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Carlucci S, Lees C, Miloro P, Papastefanou I, Ter Haar G, Dall&#8217;Asta A. <a href=\"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/humrep\/article-abstract\/39\/10\/2371\/7740757?redirectedFrom=fulltext&amp;login=false\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Doppler ultrasound and first trimester pregnancy: not always a happy marriage<\/strong><\/a><strong>.<\/strong> Hum Reprod. 2024 Aug 24:deae176. doi: 10.1093\/humrep\/deae176. Epub ahead of print. PMID:39180766.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Expert Rev Hematol. 2020 Mar;13(3):259-267. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/31971028\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Twin-twin transfusion syndrome in the era of fetoscopic laser surgery: antenatal management, neonatal outcome and beyond<\/a><\/strong>. doi: 10.1080\/17474086.2020.1720643. Epub 2020 Jan 31. PMID:\u202f31971028<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Janwadkar R, Leblang S, Ghanouni P, Brenner J, Ragheb J, Hennekens CH, Kim A, Sharma K. <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/35229123\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Focused\u202fUltrasound\u202ffor Pediatric Diseases.<\/strong><\/a> Pediatrics. 2022 Mar 1;149(3):e2021052714. doi: 10.1542\/peds.2021-052714. PMID:\u202f35229123&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Salvesen K, Abramowicz J, Ter Haar G, Miloro P, Sinkovskaya E, Dall&#8217;Asta A, Mar\u0161\u00e1l K, Lees C<strong> <\/strong>Board of the International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology (ISUOG). <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/34077607\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>ISUOG statement on the safe use of Doppler for fetal ultrasound examination in the first 13 + 6 weeks of pregnancy<\/strong><\/a> (updated). Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol. 2021 Jun;57(6):1020. doi: 10.1002\/uog.23610. PMID: 34077607.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Smith SF, Miloro P, Axell R, Ter Haar G, Lees C. <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/33995553\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>In vitro characterisation of ultrasound-induced heating effects in the mother and fetus: A clinical perspective.<\/strong><\/a> Ultrasound. 2021 May;29(2):73-82. doi: 10.1177\/1742271X20953197. Epub 2020 Sep 14. PMID:33995553; PMCID: PMC8083135.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Spruijt MS, Lopriore E, J Steggerda S, Slaghekke F, Van Klink JMM. <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/31971028\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Twin-twin\u202ftransfusion\u202fsyndrome in the era of fetoscopic laser surgery: antenatal management, neonatal outcome and beyond.<\/strong><\/a>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Shaw CJ, Rivens I, Civale J, Botting KJ, Allison BJ, Brain KL, Niu Y, Ter Haar G, Giussani DA, Lees CC.\u202f<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/31039691\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Maternal and fetal cardiometabolic recovery following ultrasound-guided high-intensity focused ultrasound placental vascular occlusion<\/strong><\/a>. J R Soc Interface. 2019 May 31;16(154):20190013. doi: 10.1098\/rsif.2019.0013. PMID: 31039691&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/27412787\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Shaw CJ, Civale J, Botting KJ, Niu Y, Ter Haar G, Rivens I, Giussani DA, Lees CC. Noninvasive\u202fhigh-intensity\u202ffocused\u202fultrasound\u202ftreatment of\u202ftwin-twin\u202ftransfusion\u202fsyndrome: A preliminary in vivo study.<\/strong><\/a><strong> <\/strong>Sci Transl Med. 2016 Jul 13;8(347):347ra95. doi: 10.1126\/scitranslmed.aaf2135. PMID:\u202f27412787\u202f<strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Click<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/?term=%28%22focused+ultrasound%22+OR+HIFU%29+and+%22twin+twin+transfusion%22&amp;sort=date\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>here<\/strong><\/a><strong> for additional references from PubMed.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_searchwp_excluded":"","_editorskit_title_hidden":false,"_editorskit_reading_time":0,"_editorskit_is_block_options_detached":false,"_editorskit_block_options_position":"{}","episode_type":"","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","_vp_format_video_url":"","_vp_image_focal_point":[],"footnotes":""},"sw_disease_condition_cat":[29],"sw_disease_condition_stage":[20],"class_list":["post-36791","sw_disease_condition","type-sw_disease_condition","status-publish","hentry","sw_disease_condition_cat-miscellaneous"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.2 (Yoast SEO v27.2) - 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