Twenty-two years of intra-uterine intraperitoneal transfusions

Intraperitoneal transfusion for severe, early-onset rhesus disease requiring treatment before 20 weeks of gestation: A consecutive case series

“…Our results compare favourably to others who report the outcome of intrauterine transfusions using various other routes (including but not limited to; intravascular and intracardiac) at early gestations (less than 22 weeks) [1,3,5,7,[9][10][11]. In contrast with intravascular transfusions at less than 20 weeks gestation, we suggest that the intraperitoneal route is a safer and more effective method of managing these cases, although we appreciate the rarity of these cases prevents our study reaching statistical significance.…”

“…Our approach to treatment is based on the understanding that fetuses with established hydrops are less likely to respond to transfusion than non-hydropic ones [6]. Early studies of intraperitoneal transfusion [7], including Liley's original description of the technique [8], reported worse outcomes once the fetus had developed hydrops due to their inability to absorb the donor blood into their circulation. We believe that initiating transfusion prior to signs of hydrops is key to successful treatment.…”

Intrauterine Blood Transfusion: Current Indications and Associated Risks

“…IUT into the intrahepatic portion of the umbilical vein was first described by Nicolini et al [6] in 1990, and it can be a safe alternative for umbilical cord transfusion in particular in case of a posterior placenta [7]. In the Netherlands, IUT was introduced in 1965 by Bennebroek Gravenhorst et al [8]. From 1987 onwards, the intravascular technique became the method of choice [9].…”