Emergency in the Womb

Emergency in the Womb

Emergency in the Womb

Identical twin brothers, Conner and Cody Bambrough, are 21 weeks old - and battling each other for survival in the womb.

They have a rare and perilous condition that threatens both their lives before they are even born. The only chance of survival is a difficult and dangerous operation inside the womb itself, where success is far from guaranteed.

With exclusive access to pioneering foetal surgeon Professor Kypros Nicolaides, and using live surgical footage and specially commissioned 3D computer imagery, this programme follows the progress of the identical twins as they undergo high-risk surgery and, afterwards, on the precarious journey towards birth.

Clips from Emergency in the Womb

On TV

First Shown

Date Time Channel
Thursday 21 May 2009 9PM Channel 4

Last Shown

Date Time Channel
Monday 16 November 2009 2.45AM More4

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  1. My girlfriend has just had this operation on Friday at 18 weeks pregnant following severe TTTS being diagnosed on Thursday. Luckily we had watched this program and were very glad of the insight it gave us in both the procedure and the realistic chances of its success. It would be sensible if a download was available. The service we have been given by NHS is amazing, with special praise going to the team headed by Prof Mark Kilby at Birmingham Women’s Hospital who carried out the laser treatment. It is too early to tell if the treatment is successful but we are both thankful that the babies have been given the best chance possible.
    Posted by Gavin Jones on 14/06/2009 14:45:23
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  2. We too under went this surgery at 21 wks, we had a severe case of TTTS caught very late, we had all the options given to us by Professor Nicolaides, he recommended the laser surgery to give us the best outcome, we sadly lost our recipient twin in the days following the surgery, our surviving twin did really well for 3 wks then my waters broke at 24 wks, she by some miracle wasn't born until 34 wks and is now a bright, lively 3 year old who would not be alive without this amazing surgery.
    Posted by Mhairi on 24/05/2009 11:07:29
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  3. I wish I could watch this, I am based in the US and I can seem to get the catch up video. I had TTTS with my twin girls in 2007 and sadly I went into premature labor the morning they were supposed to do the surgery, they were too young to make it. I had too much fluid around my Donor baby. There are not enough Dr's that understand this condition and how to monitor identical twin pregnancies.
    Posted by sara on 22/05/2009 22:28:25
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  4. i am currently beating myself up over this as we had sever ttts and i gave birth at 26 weeks on jan 2nd. One son passed away 6 wks later within a week of being diagnosed with severe brain damage due to ttts.he also had NEC and scepticiema. i wish this programme also looked at the disability side of it. My pregnancy was horrific and my consultant said it was one of the worst cases seen as i was completely "disabled" in that i couldnt walk, talk and even breath with this condition. I am completely heartbroken wishing i had laser surgey rather than amnio drainage. i was due to go for surgery but Kings didnt have the space and B'ham's machine was "broken". Unbelievable. My yger twin came out after 18 wks in hospital 2 weeks ago and has chronic lung disease. he is on oxygen 24/7 and he also had PDA surgery on his heart inwhich we nearly lost him. CH4 - if you ever do another programme on this little know subject i wish u would also look into the long term effects of ttts as this was not covered last night. I cried so much whilst watching the programme....life will never be the same again
    Posted by sand on 22/05/2009 22:08:43
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  5. Many thanks for showing the program last night of the wonderful work of Professor Kypros Nicolaides.It showed two very different outcomes but i can relate to both i had laser treatment done at 20weeks and 23weeks,my receipent twin died at 26weeks due to the heart problem highlighted last night but my donar twin survived. i carried both twins till 34weeks for lucy to thrive which she did and was born weighing 4pound without the excellent work of these doctors she would certainly have died.Programs like this show parents the dangers and heartache some people have to face in difficult pregnances and the work done by these gifted doctors .My heart goes out to all you ladies and men that have gone through the same pain as i have.
    Posted by karen maclennan on 22/05/2009 20:52:52
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  6. My twins had a laser seperation at 17 weeks at Kings, then 3 intra-uterine blood trafusions but all the invasions sent me into labour at 24 weeks, sadly we lost Sam when he was 2 weeks old, but Lukas left hospital four months later. Iam so grateful to all the staff at Kings college and Royal London for giving my boys the best chance possible. I know that a lot of people do not have these wonderful doctors at their disposal and I feel truly blessed. I hope everyone out there has got the support they need to get through these hard time.. God Bless all you angel babies.
    Posted by Jo on 22/05/2009 19:15:23
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  7. we'd just like to say we also had chronic ttts and were in consultation with kypros at kings on a weekly basis throughout the pregnacy last year. i cannot stress enough how hard these people work to give our twins the best care possible. Its great that this programme had highlighted this terrible syndrome. Our advise to other mothers who have this complication, would be to have regular scans to monitor their mass differences, but the most inportant thing is to maintain a healthy diet, (plently of iron enriched foods or suppliments). Although our babies were over 1LB in difference, they came out perfectly healthy. We owe alot to the professor and his team for all the care they provided.
    Posted by Marc and michelle on 22/05/2009 12:20:49
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  8. that is the most scarys thing i have ever seen with the lazer gun being shut in the stomatch i feel for these woman that gos through this pain i hope they have a happy life and feel proud about what ever they do
    Posted by irene on 22/05/2009 11:57:04
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  9. I had fetal surgery nearly 2 weeks ago to insert a balloon into my babys trachea to help her lungs grow as she has a severe left sided diaphragmatic hernia. So far so good the operation went well perfomed by Professor Nicolaides. We think he is an amazing man and we enjoyed watching the programme last night. We are praying for a good outcome for us.
    Posted by Sarah on 22/05/2009 11:05:12
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  10. What a brilliant caring man Professor Nicholaides is. I had twin girls 30 yrs ago in Oct, and one of them had twin boys last yr thanks to I.V.F. (and of course Prof Winston). I just wish more people in this profession were as open as Prof Nicholaides. It was so obvious by the way he spoke to the mum's and dad's to be that he had so much dedication to the unborn also determination, thoughtfulness and kindness to the Mum's and Dad's to try to make a perfect outcome. It's not often someone of this calibre shows or reveals their true feelings. Well done Professor Nicholaides, how I wished you had looked after me thirty years ago. I wish Good Luck in all your future aims and thankyou for being a genuine, caring and open peoples person xx. What a brilliant programme this was.
    Posted by margaret aitchison on 21/05/2009 22:49:52
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  11. i had this procedure in 2006 and what really suprised me on the show is one of my girls had exactly the same heart condition as one of the boys. its a very scary thing to go through and i would not wish it on anyone. also was anyone else in a lot more pain than they were whilst having the procedure? best wishes to all! Chloe
    Posted by Chloe on 21/05/2009 22:28:34
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  12. I have just finished watching this and i am sitting here with tears streaming down my face it bought back so many memories. I had ttts with my boys i also had the laser surgery ,all went well but they were born at 25wks unfortunately Matthew was too little and ill to survive and died at 2 days old Thomas is now a lively 4 yr old with mild problems. I was pleased!!! (not the right word) that they also showed that the outcome isnt always sunshine and roses (as alot of programmes do) I knew very little of the condition til i experienced it and was slightly nieve in thinking all would be fine, I didnt prepare myself for my outcome. But i am totally grateful for the FMU at St Georges hosp for giving my twin boys the chance without them i couldve lost both my boys ,also hopefully it will help others to realise that just because i bought one baby home im not fine. Thinking of baby Georges family XX
    Posted by julie on 21/05/2009 22:17:55
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  13. Is this going to be on 4OD or catch up? It started late and sky plus cut off the end :-( I agree with the other posts here. From unfortunate personal experience I know, Professor Nicolaides and his team are saints.
    Posted by AV on 21/05/2009 22:16:53
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  14. Thank you for this programme. I underwent two laser procedures at 17 and 20 weeks on my identical twin boys at St Michaels Bristol. I think that the programme did an amazing job showing this traumatic time. The operation was exactly as I remember it and it served to remind me what a miracle my boys are and how lucky I am to have them even if they keep me busier than I have ever been before. They were born at 34 weeks in Exeter and were in the special care unit for just two weeks before coming home. They are now 10 months and busy crawling, learning to walk and terrorising their older brother.
    Posted by fiona on 21/05/2009 22:08:02
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  15. I was about to have this surgery on my twins Rosie and Emma at 20 weeks, at the FMU Bristol. At the very last minute the doctors changed their minds, allowing nature to take its course as the dangers of the surgery slightly outweighed the dangers of the condition. The girls were born at 28 weeks, weighing 1Ib 9oz and 3Ib. After 6 months in hospital, my beautiful girls are now happy, healthy 4 year olds. We are eternally grateful for the doctors' knowledge of this condition, and will be watching this tonight with interest, and no doubt emotion.
    Posted by jane on 21/05/2009 20:50:17
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  16. I have healthy, happy 5 year old boys, thanks to Professor Kypros Nicolaides. I had Laser treatment for TTTS!
    Posted by Jo on 21/05/2009 19:41:00
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  17. 20 years ago Kypros Nicolaides performed intra-uterine blood transfusions when I was pregnant with my daughter. This was a ground-breaking procedure at the time and through the skill and dedication of Kypros and his team my daughter survived and has grown into a wonderful young adult. 5 years later the same procedure was carried out at my local hospital in Bristol by doctors who had learnt the procedure from Professor Nicolaides. I cannot begin to express my gratitude to Kypros and his team for giving me two beautiful children that, had it not been for their expertise, I would never have had.
    Posted by JO on 21/05/2009 14:46:12
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  18. Almost exactly 7 years ago Kypros performed the laser treatment to separate the blood supply of my boys who had severe TTS and it was performed at 16 weeks exactly. Kypros and his team are wonderful people and i hope this show is representative of them and is not a sensationalised view as is often the case in papers etc when describing TTS (badly). I will be watching.
    Posted by Sean on 20/05/2009 21:17:59
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  19. Professor Nicolaides performed laser surgery on me nearly 7 years ago to the day. My TTTS was very severe but somehow we all made it and the boys were born at 31 weeks. I thank God (and Kypros) every day for my miracle boys, Lloyd and Nicky. I really feel for those who weren't so lucky - I think swift diagnosis and immediate treatment is crucial. Really looking forward to watching it x
    Posted by Lorain on 20/05/2009 11:39:04
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  20. I had an amnio- reduction followed by laser surgery at Queen Charlotte's in London and thankfully I now have two beautiful little 18 month old identical girls, Ava and Ellie. Ttts is a horrific condition which people need to be aware of. I look forward to watching. xx
    Posted by angela on 19/05/2009 21:31:42
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  21. My sister and I were victims of TTTS but were born without any kind of laser surgery - I think before this was even available. I was a lot smaller but have done a lot of catching up in the mean time! It is very interesting that as the smaller and weaker twin I have been subjected to many more ailments and illnesses than my healthier, bigger, stronger sister. It is clearly a miracle that we survived to tell the tale without surgery and I hope that gives some hope to people who might suffer from this. We will be watching with interest!
    Posted by Jess on 19/05/2009 17:17:10
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  22. As a grandmother of two amazing boys born at 29 wks after amnio reduction twice during my daughters difficult pregnancy. I can only thank Prof Mark Kilby at Birmingham for the gift of these lives.After a difficult start they are now healthy 17mth old babies.More money and more research needed to help these skilful teams.
    Posted by kath bishop on 19/05/2009 16:33:41
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  23. I had the same procedure at 23 weeks with my twin girls Isabella and Evangeline at Kings College by Prof Kypros back in April 2005. He is an amazing man. I had severe TTTS and before I had the procedure I already knew that Evangeline, the smallest twin, would not survive outside the womb, so the operation was to try to ensure the survival of Isabella. Isabella was born at 24 weeks one week later. She was so strong and a real little fighter. Due to her prematurity she is blind, but she is smart and full of life and nothing stops her! She is now 4 years old, a cheeky little monkey and and has a memory like you would not believe! We know that things could have been much worse and we are so grateful to Prof Kypros and all the other dedicated professionals who worked towards the best outcome possible. We will certainly be watching this Thursday and would like to send all the love and luck in the world to all the parents, babies and angels who have been through this experience. God bless xxxx
    Posted by Liz on 19/05/2009 12:06:24
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  24. Iam looking forward to watching this programme , i had laser treatment in 2006 by prof kypros to save my twins lives thankfully he did they are now 3 years old .it is an amazing operation to undertake and i owe logan and louie s lives to prof kypros thanks lucy
    Posted by lucy on 18/05/2009 22:28:13
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  25. My sons died from ttts after lazer surger and amnio reduction. Not all outcomes are good - I'd give the world and back to have my sons with me today. I just hope this documentary tells the horrors of this condition and not just success stories.
    Posted by Karen on 18/05/2009 18:44:09
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  26. i had fetal surgery done at kings college with prof kypros my son had a severe right sided diaphragmatic hernia. at 24wks i had feto surgery with the camera which was guided down my sons trachea where they left a balloon to force his lungs to exspand luckily he survived the procedure and even had it removed the same way! prof kypros and his team are amazing and to them i am eternally grateful that i have my son as is odds without this procedure were 0-5% people finally will get to see some miracle workers at work kyrie read
    Posted by kyrie read on 18/05/2009 15:57:16
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  27. I too wish that they would identify this as TTTS on the advert and on the programme information. As I don't think any of my family believe that this programme is about what my twin boys had! I had laser surgery done to correct the TTTS at 20 weeks, it has now been resolved. I am now 32 weeks preg! i didn't dare watch the op while it was being done so at least now I can have a look at what was happening. Good luck to everyone watching this who has had twin to twin with good or bad outcomes, as I think it will be quite an emotional watch.
    Posted by Kirstie on 18/05/2009 14:45:23
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  28. i currently have Mild Twin to Twin Transfer Syndrome, it would have been helpful in raising awareness of this condition if the programme information idenitified this condition within the description.
    Posted by Nic on 18/05/2009 10:48:22
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  29. nearly 8 years to the day i had this done,Kypros is wonderfull!
    Posted by loui on 18/05/2009 00:08:22
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  30. i had twin to twin with my boys in bristol in august 1999 james survived and bradley died two days after laser surgery. not alot of people understand this process and it is so difficult to talk about when people ask glad there is information coming out my operation was videoed for training purposes it is a heartbreaking choice for any parent
    Posted by angie on 17/05/2009 23:17:18
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  31. I too am wondering if this is about TTTS having lost my angels Elinor and April at 24 weeks on 7th April. I have foudn that there is not alot of information out there for parents in the UK affected by this so hope this brings TTTS to the spotlight.
    Posted by Faye on 17/05/2009 21:35:31
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  32. Not all ttts babies that have this operation survive. I know as my sons died following surgery at 23 weeks. I urge everyone to watch this and learn from it. The more people know about twin to twin transfusion the more babies lives can be saved.
    Posted by Karen on 17/05/2009 20:52:52
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  33. Is this about twin to twin transfusion syndrome> i have just gone through this with twins born at 28 weeks after having the operation. Both mine are doing fine. if it is then please watch as it is difficult to explain to people exactly what you and your babies have to go through.
    Posted by Pam on 16/05/2009 20:20:42
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