title: Impact of recipient twin preoperative myocardial performance index in twin-twin transfusion syndrome treated with laser.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To validate the efficacy of laser therapy for twin-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) in the treatment of recipient twin cardiomyopathy and investigate whether severity of preoperative cardiomyopathy can predict fetal survival postoperatively.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective study of monochorionic-diamniotic (MCDA) pregnancies complicated by TTTS treated by selective fetoscopic laser photocoagulation (SFLP) performed between March 2010 and October 2014 at a single center. The recipient right ventricular (RV) and left ventricular (LV) myocardial performance index (MPI) were measured both pre- and postoperatively. The data were analyzed with the Wilcoxon signed rank and parametric t-tests.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty-three women met inclusion criteria during the study period. There was a substantial improvement in recipient LV (0.57 ± 0.13 versus 0.43 ± 0.13, p ≤ 0.0001) and RV (0.60 ± 0.16 versus 0.49 ± 0.18, p ≤ 0.0001) MPI postoperatively (median = 8 days). Recipient preoperative LV and RV MPI did not correlate with recipient or donor survival at 24 hours, 7 days or at birth. Thirty-seven recipients (95%) showed improvement in either LV or RV MPI and 22 (56%) showed complete resolution of cardiac dysfunction.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Laser treatment for TTTS causes rapid improvement in the cardiac function of recipient fetuses. The severity of recipient preoperative MPI does not correlate with survival of either twin postoperatively.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology , and.
authors.forename: Matthew M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Finneran
authors.affiliation: a Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology , and.
authors.forename: Ryan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pickens
authors.affiliation: b Dickson Advanced Analytics, Carolinas Medical Center , Charlotte , NC , USA , and.
authors.forename: Megan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Templin
authors.affiliation: c Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine , Charlotte Fetal Care Center , Charlotte , NC , USA.
authors.forename: Courtney D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Stephenson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005318:Fetal Heart / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005330:Fetofetal Transfusion / Q000601:surgery*; D005332:Fetoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D053685:Laser Therapy; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology; D011247:Pregnancy; D057234:Preoperative Period; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014427:Twins; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Fetal therapy; laser; myocardial performance index; recipient cardiomyopathy; twin–twin transfusion syndrome