Aims: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the data related to the genetic amniocentesis performed in a single university hospital.
Methods: Medical records were used to analyze indications of amniocentesis, the results of chromosome analysis, complications and pregnancy outcomes from January 1998 through January 2002. Anomaly screening was performed to all patients attending to our Obstetrics and Gynecology Department between 16 and 20 weeks of pregnancy. The staff obstetricians-gynecologists performed all of the second-trimester genetic amniocentesis.
Results: Totally 2,686 patients attended to our department between 16 and 20 weeks of pregnancy during the index period. A total of 131 genetic amniocentesis were performed. The indications were advanced maternal age (cut off age 35) in 24, suspicion of genetic abnormality on ultrasound in 15, history of siblings with Down syndrome in 2 and abnormal triple screen in 90 patients, respectively. There were two pregnancy losses due to the procedure; thus the overall complication rate of second-trimester genetic amniocentesis was 1.5%.
Conclusions: Being one of the most performed invasive techniques for prenatal diagnose, second-trimester genetic amniocentesis is a reliable and safe method. Although the size of this study is limited, our complication rates are similar to the related literature.