Composite-type optical fiberscope for laser surgery for Twin-to-twin Transfusion Syndrome (TTTS)

Oka, Kiyoshi; Yamashita, Hiromasa*; Nakamura, Tetsuya*; Ueda, Hirohisa*; Chiba, Toshio*

In fetoscopic laser photocoagulation of placental communicating vessels (FLPC) for twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS), there are several technical issues. These include; (1) laser light diffusion that reduces the energy density over the placental surface, (2) unknown distances between the placental surface and laser fiber tip, (3) difficulties in assessing actual flow of the targeted blood vessels, and (4) difficulties in controlling laser light direction for perpendicular irradiation. To settle these problems, we successfully developed a new small composite-type optical fiberscope. In this report, we present our experimental outcomes to assess its clinical availability/feasibility for clinical TTTS laser surgery.