Miracle twins saved by keyhole surgery in the WOMB to correct rare complication
Emma Glozier, 36, faced a difficult decision when it was revealed her unborn daughters were suffering from the rare condition twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome
When mum-to-be Emma Glozier was told that she was expecting identical twins, she was thrilled.
But her happiness was short-lived when a 20-week scan revealed they were suffering from a rare condition called twin to twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) - a potentially-fatal complaint meaning blood was passing unevenly between them.
Suddenly, the Gateshead native faced a stark choice between letting her daughters die - or having risky surgery in a bid to save their lives.
Together with husband Chris, 39, she faced an agonising choice - if they went ahead with the surgery there was a 33 per cent chance of both twins surviving, a 33 per cent chance of one baby surviving and a 33 per cent chance of losing both babies.
Naturally, they were under no illusion of how risky intervention was. But it soon transpired she had little choice in the matter.
“I was told that it had already progressed to stage three of five and asked how quickly we could get to London [for the surgery]," she said.
“I questioned having it because there was only a one in three chance of them both surviving. I felt like I’d be killing them if it didn’t work, but the surgeon said it had progressed so quickly that I had no choice.
I felt like I’d be killing them if it didn’t work, but the surgeon said it had progressed so quickly that I had no choice
Emma Glozier
“It was so scary and I was only 20 weeks gone, so there was the uncertainty of knowing I had another 20 weeks to carry these babies and keep them safe.”
Emma, 36, and Chris travelled from Tyne and Wear to north London's King’s College Hospital for the keyhole surgery, which uses a laser to dissolve the placenta’s blood vessels between them equally.
Performed by Dr Kypros Nicolaides, the intricate procedure was watched by 12 medical professionals from around the world.
What is Twin-To-Twin Transfusion Syndrome?
According to NHS Direct, TTTS affects identical twins who share a placenta.
It’s caused by abnormal connecting blood vessels.
This results in an imbalanced blood flow from one twin (known as the donor) to the other (recipient), leaving one baby with a greater blood volume than the other.
TTTS affects 10-15% of twins and can have serious consequences.
The events in pregnancy that lead to TTTS include: the timing of the twinning event, the number and type of connecting vessels and the way the placenta is shared by the twins.
These are all random events that have no primary prevention. The condition is not hereditary or genetic, nor is it caused by anything the parents did or did not do.
TTTS can happen to anyone.
For more information visit www.tamba.org.uk/ttts
A camera even beamed an image of the twins onto a screen while the surgery was taking place.
"I didn’t want to turn around and look at the screen when it was actually happening because I was too scared, but eventually I did and it was amazing to see the,” Emma added.
Thankfully, the operation was a success and the babies arrived by emergency c-section in September 2013. Abbie weighed 4lb 4oz and Megan 4lb 14oz.
Soon after , the pair returned home to be with their big sister Ellie six days later and, now aged three, have no lasting health problems.
Now, Emma has welcomed updated guidelines from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) which could help save the lives of unborn twins with complications such as TTTS.
The Green-top Guidelines are for healthcare professionals managing monochorionic pregnancies.
This type of pregnancy, most commonly a twin pregnancy, is one were babies are dependent on a single, shared placenta.
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“It affects nearly a third of all twin pregnancies and can cause complications which require regular ultrasound screening, early diagnosis and specialist care," Emma said.
“The RVI were fantastic but I’ve found out since that a lot of hospitals don’t detect TTTS and it can be really dangerous if it progresses quickly.
“I hope these updated guidelines can go some way to improving the chances of survival for TTTS babies. I hope we can also raise awareness of TTTS to expectant mums, especially as I didn’t know what to look for and what to be aware of.”