Fetal Laser Therapy
Fetal Laser Therapy - Related Videos
14:19
Fetal Echocardiography and Pulsed-wave Doppler Ultrasound in a Rabbit Model of Intrauterine Growth Restriction
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Cited by 11 •
2013
We describe examination of fetal cardiac function with contemporary functional fetal echocardiography and fetoplacental Doppler ultrasound using the VisualSonics VEVO 2100 microultrasound in a surgically induced model of intrauterine fetal growth restriction in a rabbit.
01:20
Laser Interstitial Thermal Therapy for Intracranial Tumor Ablation in a Human Patient
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2025
Begin with an anesthetized human patient with an exposed skull. The patient is diagnosed with an intracranial tumor.Drill into the exposed skull to create a hole, generating an access point.Using stereotactic guidance, insert a laser diffusing fiber or LDF along the predetermined path and secure it in place.Transfer the patient to an MRI scanner and connect the LDF to a laser source.Capture MRI images from multiple angles to visualize the fiber path and the tumor.This confirms the LDF’s...
06:31
Transuterine Fetal Tracheal Occlusion Model in Mice
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Cited by 2 •
2021
Various animal models of congenital diaphragmatic hernia and fetal tracheal occlusion present advantages and disadvantages regarding ethical issues, cost, surgical difficulty, size, survival rates, and availability of genetic tools. This model provides a new tool to study the impact of both tracheal occlusion and increased luminal pressure on lung development.
08:04
Murine Fetal Echocardiography
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Cited by 7 •
2013
Fetal and perinatal death is a common feature when studying genetic alterations affecting cardiac development. High-frequency ultrasound imaging has improved 2-D resolution and can provide excellent information on early cardiac development and is an ideal method to detect the impact on cardiac structure and function prior to death.
10:12
A Novel Surgical Approach for Intratracheal Administration of Bioactive Agents in a Fetal Mouse Model
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Cited by 8 •
2012
We developed a novel surgical approach for intratracheal administration of bioactive agents into the mouse fetus. The delivery route is more efficient in targeting the fetal mouse lungs than the commonly used intra-amniotic injection. This procedure has to date not been described in a mouse model.
FAQs
The laser targets blood-vessel connections on the shared placenta and coagulates them, which stops or reduces the abnormal exchange of blood between the fetuses. This intervention addresses the vascular source of the imbalance rather than only its effects. Separating the circulations can help limit the harmful transfusion pattern associated with twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome.
A shared placenta can contain vascular connections linking the circulations of the fetuses. When blood flow through those connections becomes harmful, one fetus may receive too much while the other receives too little. Fetal laser therapy focuses on these placental connections, making the placenta the treatment site and allowing clinicians to address the underlying circulation problem.
In twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome, unequal blood transfer creates opposing risks: one twin receives an excessive supply, while the other experiences insufficient blood flow. By coagulating the connecting vessels, treatment aims to reduce this harmful exchange before birth. The goal is to improve the conditions supporting one or both fetuses during the remainder of pregnancy.
Clinicians perform fetoscopy to examine and treat the vascular connections on the shared placenta. Using the fetoscopic approach, they direct a laser to coagulate the vessels responsible for the abnormal transfusion pattern. This provides a minimally invasive way to intervene during pregnancy and directly target the placental circulation involved in the complication.
The procedure is most commonly associated with twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome, a serious complication involving abnormal blood exchange between fetuses sharing a placenta. Clinicians use it before birth when the placental circulation is creating a harmful imbalance. Its purpose is to treat the underlying vascular problem while the fetuses remain in the uterus.
Fetal laser therapy represents an important maternal-fetal medicine approach because it allows clinicians to treat a serious fetal complication before birth rather than waiting until delivery. Its minimally invasive design combines fetoscopy with targeted treatment of placental vessels. By addressing abnormal circulation during pregnancy, the technique can improve outcomes for one or more fetuses.