Laser Surgery for TTTS

The first intrauterine laser surgery on the placenta to treat TTTS was performed in 1988 by Dr. Julian E. De Lia, Medical Director of the International Institute for the Treatment of Twin-to-Twin Transfusion Syndrome. Since then, other doctors have begun offering this type of surgery. After Dr. De Lia’s center there is a list of recommended questions to ask the laser doctor, and a list of these doctors by state and by country.

Dr. Julian E. De Lia
International Institute for the Treatment of TTTS
Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare – St. Joseph
5000 West Chambers Street
Milwaukee, WI 53210-1688
Phone: 414-447-3535
http://www.tttsmd.org
julian.delia@wfhc.org
Nurse coordinator: Mary

QUESTIONS TO ASK LASER DOCTOR

The doctor closest to you may or may not be the best choice for your situation. There are varying degrees of expertise and experience. It is important for you, as a patient, to learn as much as you can about TTTS and ask the doctor(s) you have selected the following questions:

1. How many laser surgeries have you performed?
   
2. What are your statistics in saving both babies? Ask this specifically for your placental type also (posterior or anterior)
   
3. Do you cauterize all the connecting vessels between the babies disconnecting them completely?
   
4. What type of anesthesia do you use?
   
5. If triplets, ask how many triplet pregnancies have you performed laser surgery on?
   
6. Do you perform a septostomy during surgery? Do I have the choice to reject it?
   
7. If you recommend a cord ligation, do I have the choice to reject it?
   
8. If an anterior placenta, do you make an incision using a straight scope or use a bendable scope endoscopically and why?
   
9. What is your criteria for laser surgery and why?
   
10. Do you recommend amnioreductions before laser, why or why not?
    

CALIFORNIA

Dr. Ramen Chmait
Institute for Maternal and Fetal Health
USC-Children's Hospital Los Angeles
Hollywood Presbyterian Hospital
Doctor's Tower
1300 North Vermont Avenue
Suite 301
Los Angeles, CA 90027
Phone: 323-671-6074 chmait@usc.edu
Nurse Coordinator: Terri Maitino, RN
www.ourbaby.org

Dr. David Schrimmer
Fetal Surgery Program
University of CA, San Diego
200 West Arbor Dr, MC 8612
San Diego, CA 92103
Phone: (866) 638-0601 Nurse Coordinator: Lynne Tobler, RN
http://health.ucsd.edu/specialties/fetalsurgery/

Dr. Hanmin Lee
UCSF Fetal Treatment Center
University of California San Francisco
513 Parnassus Avenue
HSW 1601
San Francisco, CA 94143-0570
Phone: 800-RX-Fetus or 415-476-3156
Nurse Coordinator: Jody Farrell, RN
fetus@surgery.ucsf.edu
http://fetus.ucsfmedicalcenter.org

FLORIDA

Dr. Ruben Quintero
Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine
University of Miami
1161 Northwest 12th Avenue
Holtz Center #4061
Miami, Florida 33136
Nurse Coordinator: Lilia Corral
Phone: 305-585-6636
http://ob-gyn.med.miami.edu/x257.xml

MARYLAND

Dr. Ahmet Baschat
Director of Laser Program
Dr. Chris R. Harman
Vice Chairman of the Department and Director of the Center for Advanced Fetal Care
The Center for Advanced Fetal Care
University of Maryland, Baltimore
22 South Greene Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
Phone: 410-328-3865, Pager 410-328-2327 #5362 cell 404-804-1783
Nurse Coordinator: Kristin Pfeiffer
http://www.obgyn.umm.edu/ttts/index.html

MASSACHUSETTS

Dr. Lucy Bayer-Zwirello
Maternal Fetal Medicine
St. Elizabeth's Medical Center
736 Cambridge Street
Boston, MA 02135
Phone: 617-562-7026
lucy.bayer@cchcs.org

MINNESOTA

Dr William A. Block Jr. and Dr. Brad Feltis
Abbott Northwestern Hospital, Piper Building
800 East 28th Street, Suite 503
Minneapolis, MN 55407
612-863-4502
http://www.allina.com/ahs/anw.nsf/page/op_perinatal

NEW YORK

Dr. Lynn Simpson, Medical Director
Dr. Russell Miller
Ushta Davar Canteenwalla, MS, Clinical Coordinator
Columbia University Medical Center
Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine
High-Risk Obstetrics Columbia University, Dept. OB/GYN
622 W. 168th Street, PH 16
New York, NY 10032
Phone: 877-843-2229 877-THE-BABY
http://www.prenatalpediatrics.org/multiples.html

OHIO

Dr. Timothy Crombleholme
Fetal Care Center of Cincinnati
Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
3333 Burnet Avenue
Cincinnati, OH 45229 Phone: 888-338-2559
http://www.fetalcarecenter.org

Dr. Richard O'Shaughnessy
OSU Medical Center
University Hospital
James Cancer Hospital
University Perinatal Consultants
2050 Kenny Road
Columbus, OH 43221
Phone: 614-293-2222
http://medicalcenter.osu.edu/patientcare/healthcare_services/services/index.cfm?ID=2558

PENNSYLVANIA

Dr. Mark Johnson
The Children's Hospital Of Philadelphia
34th Street and Civic Center Boulevard
Philadelphia, PA 19104-4399
Phone: 800-468-8376
www.chop.edu

RHODE ISLAND

Dr. Francois Luks and Dr. Stephen Carr
The Fetal Treatment Program
Hasbro Children's Hospital/Women & Infant's Hospital
Brown Medical School
101 Dudley Street
Providence, RI 02903
Phone: 401-421-1939
www.fetal-treatment.org

TEXAS

Dr. Anthony Johnson
Dr Kenneth Moise, Jr.
Texas Children’s Fetal Center
Baylor Clinic Building 14D.93
6620 Main Street
Houston, TX 77030
Pager: 713-605-8989 enter 12418 then your call back number
Phone: 877-FetalRx (877-338-2579 toll free) or 713-789-8621
Fax: 713-798-2810
Nurse Coordinator: Karen Moise, RN moise@bcm.tmc.edu
www.texaschildrens.org/fetal

UTAH

Dr. Robert Ball, Dr. Michael Belfort
St. Mark’s Hospital
Maternal-Fetal Medicine Group
1140 East 3900 South, #390
Salt Lake City, Utah 84124
Phone: 801-743-4715
Nurse Coordinator: Carrie.Gonzales1@hcahealthcare.com
http://www.mfmutah.com/fetaltherapy.htm

WASHINGTON

Dr. Martin Walker
Eastside Maternal Fetal Medicine
Evergreen Surgery and Physicians Center, Tan 240
12040 NE 128th Street
Kirkland, WA 98034
Phone: 425-899-2200
Fax: 425-899-2210
http://www.eastsidemfm.com/Laser_information.htm
Nurse Coordinator, Melissa mdorn@echc.org

WISCONSIN

Dr. Julian E. De Lia
The International Institute for the Treatment of TTTS
St. Joseph Community Foundation
5000 West Chambers Street
Milwaukee, WI 53210-1688
Phone: 414-447-3535
http://www.tttsmd.org
julian.delia@wfhc.org
Nurse Coordinator: Mary

AUSTRALIA

Dr Mark Umstad
Head of Multiple Pregnancy Clinic
Royal Women's Hospital & Frances Perry House
Grattan Street
Carlton Vic 3053 Australia
Phone: 03 9221 5044
Fax: 03 9221 5244
mark.umstad@maynegroup.com

Leanne Luck
CNC High Risk Pregnancy
Westmead Hospital Australia
Phone: 9845 5555 Page no. 01728

Dr Neil Athayde
Westmead Centre, Australia
Phone: 9845 6802 or 9845 5555
Fax: 9845 7793
Neila@westgate.wh.usyd.edu.au

Dr Daniel Challis
Royal Hospital for Women
Randwick, Australia
Phone: 9382 6098 or 9382 6111
Fax: 9382 6706
Dan@challis.com.au

Dr John Smoleniec
Liverpool Hospital, Australia
Phone: 98285631 98285679
Fax: 98285672 / 98285570
John.Smoleniec@swsahs.nsw.gov.au

Dr Jan Dickinson & Dr Craig Pennel
King Edward Memorial Hospital
Perth 374 Bagot Road,
Subiaco Australia WA6008
Contact Karen Reid
Clinical Midwife Consultant
Phone:61893402705
karen.reid@health.wa.gov.au

Robert Cincotta
Director, Maternal Fetal Medicine
Mater Mothers' Hospital
South Brisbane
Queensland, Australia
Phone: 07 3840 8111 (pager 346)
Fax: 07 3840 1949
Robert_Cincotta@mater.org.au
Barbara Soong
Clinical Midwife Consultant
Phone: 07 3840 8111 (pager 894)
Fax: 07 3840 1890
b_soong@mater.org.au

Professor Nicholas Fisk, Dr Carol Portmann & Dr Greg Duncombe
Centre for Advanced Prenatal Care
Royal Brisbane & Women's Hospital
Brisbane, Queensland 4029
n.fisk@uq.edu.au or carol_portmann@health.qld.gov.au
http://www.uqccr.uq.edu.au/
Phone:07 3636 4467
Fax: 073636 7798

BELGIUM

Dr. Jan DePrest
Department of Gynecologie En Verloskunde
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology
UZ Leuven
University Hospital Gasthuisberg
3000 Leuven
Belgium
Phone: 016344215
Jan.Deprest@uz.kuleuven.ac.be
Project Director for the Eurofoetus Study
http://www.eurofetus.org

ENGLAND

Dr Ruwan Wimalasundera
Queen Charlotte's & Chelsea Hospital
Fetal Medicine Unit
Gold Hawk Road
London W6
Phone: 0181 748 4666

Dr. Kypros Nicholaides
The Harris Birthright Research Centre
Kings College School of Medicine
Denmark Hill
London SE 5 8RX, England
Phone: 0171 924-0894
Fax: 0171 738-3704
rcjbe02@bay.cc.kcl.ac.uk

Amar Bhide: Consultant
Basky Thilaganathan: Clinic Director
Department of Obsttrics and Gynaecology
St. Georges Hospital
Blackshaw Road
London SW17 0QT
Tel: +44(0)20 8725 1911
Fax: +44(0)20 8725 0079
fmu@sghms.ac.uk

Professor Kilby
The West Midlands Fetal Medicine Centre
Birmingham Women’s Hospital
Metchley Park Road
Edgbaston
Birmingham B15 2TG
Tel 0121 627 2683
Fetalmedicine@uhb.nhs.uk

FRANCE

Yves Ville, M.D.
CH Poissy St. Germain
Dept. Obstetrique et Gynecologie
Poissy, France
yville@wanadoo.fr
One of Europe's leading practitioners of laser treatment
Project Coordinator of the Eurofoetus Study
http://www.eurofetus.org

GERMANY

Dr. Kurt Hecher
& Dr. B. Joachim Hackeloer
AK Hamburg Barmbek Hospital
Department for Prenatal Diagnostik and Therapy Center
Rubenkamp 148 22291
Hamburg, Germany
Phone: 49-40-6385-3490
Fax: 49-40-6385-2169

CANADA

Dr. Greg Ryan
Staff Perinatologist
Director, Fetal Medicine Program
Mount Sinai Hospital
Professor
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology
Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine
University of Toronto, 3201
700 University Avenue
Toronto ONT M5G 1X5 CANADA
http://www.mountsinai.on.ca/care/special-pregnancy-program/spp
Phone: 416-586-8403, Sandra Secretary
Fax: 416-586-3216
Location: 416-586-5133
gryan@mtsinai.on.ca

Dr. Francois Audibert
3175, Chemin de la Côte-Sainte-Catherine
Montréal, Quebec CANADA
H3T 1C5
Tel. : (514) 345-4931
www.chu-sainte-justine.or...fault.aspx

SPAIN

Dr. Eduard Gratacos
Fetal-Medicine Department Head
Clinic Barcelona Hospital Universitari
C/ Sabino de Arana, 1
08028 Barcelona, Spain
Phone: 00-34-93-277-9904
Fax: 00-34-93-227-56-05
gratacos@clinic.ub.es
Nurse Coordinator: Maria Marí
mnmari@clinic.ub.es
http://www.medicinafetalbarcelona.org/clinica/fetal-surgery/fetal-diseases/twin-twin-transfusion-syndrome_en.html

SOUTH AFRICA

Dr Lut Geerts
Tygerberg Hospital

SWEDEN

Leena Garoff, M.D.
Karolinska Hospital
Stockholm, Sweden

DENMARK

Connie Jorgensen
Ultraljudskliniken
Juliane Marie Centret
Rigshospitalet
Blegdamsvej 9
DK-2100 København
Denmark
Phone: 3545 3545
rigshospitalet@rh.regionh.dk
www.rigshospitalet.dk

IRELAND

Prof. Fergal Malone has been doing the surgery in the Rotunda hospital in Dublin since January 2007