Friday, March 29, 2013
Autopsy results for Austin 3.29.13
I delivered 25+2 due to one of my boys heart rate dropping a day after emergency fetoscopic laser ablation surgery at UCSF in San Fran. I was told right before we delivered that Baby A had a grade 3 brain bleed and Baby B had early early heart failure. We decided to try to save them both if one babies hear rate started dropping. It was a wise decision. Mary Slaman-Forsythe helped me decide, THANK GOD FOR HER! Baby A, Austin did not make it, but Baby B, Ari did. I just received the autopsy for Austin, Baby A who did not make it. We had TTTS for 9 week weeks, diagnosed 16+2, At 25 weeks, the twins had reversed roles, the donor had become the recipient and vice versa. The autopsy revealed some interesting facts
1. Austin had a grade 2 brain bleed, most babies don't die from just a brain bleed
2. Austin only had 20% of the placenta and a Velamentous cord insertion
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Velamentous_cord_insertion
3. Austin most likely passed away from severe anemia and the side effects of not being able to handle the reversed TTTS
Please note, they reversed roles BEFORE laser ablation. I read that this happens in 5 out of 100 cases.
Baby B, Ari made it and he is 36+6 today and doing extremely well. The only surgery that he will have is a repair for a hernia in his scrotum and belly button.
Austin was perfectly formed, perfect in every way The pathologist called him a well nourished premature boy. He weighed 1.344 pounds and was 31% smaller than his brother Ari who was 1.79 lbs. I honestly did everything I could do to save both my babies and I am so sad we could not save Austin in time but I do feel that Ari would not have made it if he would of stayed in utero because he was always working hard as the recipient but when the TTTS reversed and he became the donor, his little body had just worked too hard and he could not handle it anymore so even though 25+2 is a hard hard road, in my heart it was the only road to get him here with us today.
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You are amazing Ali and I know that this all must be incredibly hard. Thinking of you and your family all the time. So sorry for your loss, but so happy at the wonderful progress Ari has made!!
ReplyDeleteI understand, and I am always praying for all of you. You made the best decision and I also will be proud of you always for it. With everything that both of you have had to go through, you have remained strong and loving. Ari and Luca have some wonderful parents, and they both are beautiful babies. Always with Love, Nana
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