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Steward Family Lounge at Saint Joseph's Children's Hospital in Marshfield, WI
After losing Grace and McKenna, we wanted to honor them by helping other families. We racked our brains thinking of ideas. It came to us on the way to Marshfield for Kate's follow-up appointment with Dr. Meier. We thought of something we could have used while in the hospital. Our vision was a resource area/lounge for families who have extended stays on the NICU/Birth Center floor. We were thinking of a peaceful place for families to go to relax and get away from the hospital atmosphere. This space would consist of a kitchenette, living room, and full bathroom. Resources available would include a personal computer, DVD library, magazines, newspapers, games, telephone, and music. Our vision has become a reality.
We'd like to thank the Saint Joseph's Children's Hospital Foundation for their help and support in making this possible.
Fetoscope for TTTS Surgeries
Fetoscopy instruments are used for the treatment of TTTS when the twins are between 15 and 26 weeks gestational age. The set consist of a fetoscope (with a separate camera attached to the eye piece) to view the placenta and fetuses, and its accessories. A sheath (outside diameter 3.5mm) is first inserted into the uterus trough the mother's abdomen, into which the fetoscope and laser fiber are passed. After the doctor identifies the abnormal communicating blood vessels in the placenta, the laser is used to photocoagulate (or cauterize with laser beam generated heat) the communicating vessels (see diagram).
The surgery was first performed by Dr. De Lia at the University of Utah in 1988, and is now used in centers throughout the world. The laser surgery halts the transfusion immediately and protects the twins the remainder of the pregnancy, thereby improving the more than 90% fetal loss rate and the more than 50% cerebral palsy in TTTS survivors seen when Dr. De Lia first began his research. The fetoscope was developed and modified over 15 years, and was recently approved for TTTS by the FDA.
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