Doctors at Hanoi Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital successfully performed a pleural drainage procedure, a fetal intervention.
Medical intervention saves fetus with pleural effusion.
A fetus at 18 weeks of gestation, found on ultrasound to have left pleural effusion causing lung collapse and cardiac compression, has been successfully treated by doctors at Hanoi Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital.
Báo Hải Phòng•24/09/2025A 22-year-old pregnant woman from Thai Nguyen, pregnant for the first time, was examined at another medical facility at 18 weeks. Doctors recognized the complexity of her case and decided to transfer her to the Fetal Intervention Center at Hanoi Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital for further evaluation.
Here, doctors discovered that the fetus had pleural effusion in the left lung, causing lung collapse and compression of the heart. This is a rare complication that can lead to pulmonary hypoplasia, severe respiratory failure, and even death after birth if not treated promptly during pregnancy.
Following a consultation by the hospital's Board of Directors, the team, including Dr. Phan Thi Huyen Thuong, Head of the Fetal Intervention Center; Dr. Tran Van Cuong, Head of the Anesthesia and Resuscitation Department; Dr. Do Tuan Dat, Head of the Obstetrics Department A4; and other specialists, decided to proceed with the pleural shunt technique to address the fluid causing compression and help the fetal lungs expand again.
The surgery was performed under continuous ultrasound guidance. Due to the unfavorable fetal position, the team had to rotate the fetus within the amniotic sac to move the area requiring intervention to a safer access location.
With precise technique and seamless coordination, the doctors successfully inserted a catheter from the pregnant woman's abdominal wall into the amniotic sac, reaching the fetal chest cavity and placing the drainage tube. As a result, the fluid gradually drained out, the lungs began to expand, and the fetal heart rate stabilized.
Following the procedure, the effusion significantly decreased, lung function improved, and pressure on the heart and lungs was considerably reduced. Currently, both the mother and fetus are in stable condition and continue to be closely monitored to ensure the best possible outcome for the pregnancy.
PV (compiled)
Source: https://baohaiphong.vn/can-thiep-y-khoa-cuu-thai-nhi-tran-dich-mang-phoi-521634.html
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