Fetoscopy

Risks

Risk associated with fetoscopy include:

• Miscarriage, which can be as high as 12% (12 in every 100 tests), especially if another surgical procedure is done during fetoscopy.
• Excessive bleeding, infection, or excessive leakage of the amniotic fluid.
• Preterm rupture of the membranes (PROM) that requires early delivery of the fetus.
• Mixing the blood of the mother and fetus. Therefore, unless the fetus's father has Rh-negative blood, an Rh-negative woman will be given an injection (Rho-GAM) to prevent Rh sensitization, which could harm her fetus if it has Rh-positive blood.

After the test

Call your doctor right away if you have:

• Moderate or severe abdominal pain or cramping.
• Chills or a fever.
• Dizziness.
• Fluid or blood leaking from your vagina or from the cut in your belly.

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Author:	Maria G. Essig, MS, ELS	Last Updated: June 28, 2007
Medical Review:	Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine Joy Melnikow, MD, MPH - Family Medicine Deborah A. Penava, BA, MD, FRCSC, MPH - Obstetrics and Gynecology
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