First report of surgery for anencephaly in twin pregnancies: Technical notes and postoperative management

This is a single case report describing the surgical management of an anencephalic twin in a dichorionic-diamniotic twin pregnancy. The authors performed surgical closure of the cranial defect, which had not previously been reported for anencephaly. Postoperative management involved multidisciplinary cooperation and extended follow-up, during which the infant survived longer than the typical early postnatal death. The authors describe challenges encountered during follow-up, issues related to brain death diagnosis in anencephalic patients, and ethical dilemmas concerning organ donation candidacy. Prevalence data from cited studies indicate anencephaly rates of 0.3 per 10,000 live births in high-income countries, with termination rates of approximately 83% following prenatal diagnosis. The authors suggest that longer survival is achievable with surgical intervention under appropriate conditions.