Another baby born safely thanks to intrauterine pleural drainage technique

After a journey of placing a pleural drainage tube (lung shunt) to save the fetus' life, the mother gave birth to a healthy baby at the 34th week of pregnancy.

The doctor intervened when the fetus was only 23 months old.

Ms. HD (born in 1991, living in Co Nhue, Hanoi ) was pregnant with her second child when she discovered an abnormality when she was 23 weeks pregnant. The baby was diagnosed with severe left pleural effusion, causing collapsed lung and cardiac tamponade, and the mother was at high risk of preeclampsia and uterine fibroids. All of these factors made her pregnancy extremely dangerous.

Immediately afterwards, Ms. HD was transferred to the Fetal Intervention Center, Hanoi Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, where amniocentesis was performed for genetic testing of the fetus at 23 weeks of gestation.

After receiving genetic results and professional consultation, the patient was indicated to have a pleural-amniotic shunt placed when the pregnancy was 25 weeks and 3 days (as expected) and 26 weeks and 1 day (according to ultrasound).

This is an advanced fetal intervention technique that requires high levels of expertise and skill. Under ultrasound guidance, the team inserted a drainage tube (shunt) from the mother's abdominal wall, through the amniotic sac into the fetal pleural cavity to drain fluid - helping to relieve pressure on the lungs and heart, creating conditions for the lungs to expand and develop properly.

During the intervention, the unfavorable fetal position forced the doctors to perform intra-amniotic rotation, an extremely difficult and delicate operation. However, with precision and dedication to the profession, the intervention was successful. After the intervention, the pleural effusion was significantly reduced, the baby's lungs expanded well again, the heart was no longer compressed, opening the door of hope for the little girl.

At the 34th week of pregnancy, after close monitoring, the doctors ordered a cesarean section. The baby girl was born safely and healthy. Immediately after birth, the baby was given an ultrasound and X-ray: the pleural fluid was gone, the lungs were well developed, and respiratory function was stable.

This is a testament to the remarkable success of fetal pulmonary shunt intervention.

THIEN LAM

Source: https://nhandan.vn/them-mot-tre-chao-doi-an-toan-nho-ky-thuat-dan-luu-mang-phoi-tu-trong-bao-thai-post899464.html