- MEDICINE ATHENS MED4WOMAN ATHENS
- MEDICINE VOLOS MED4WOMAN VOLOS
Obstetrician - Gynaecologist
Doctor of Medicine, University of Athens Medical School
Panagiotis Polyzos, Gynaecologist Obstetrician, is active at the Institute of Life - IVF Unit of Iaso Maternity Hospital.
Amniocentesis involves the examination of cells in the fluid from the fetus (amniotic fluid).
The cells in the amniotic fluid originate from the baby, and therefore, the chromosomes within these cells are the same as those of the baby.
Amniocentesis involves the passage of a thin needle into the uterus to remove a small amount of amniotic fluid. The needle is carefully monitored using ultrasound imaging.
The fluid consists of fetal urine, and the amount removed during amniocentesis is replenished within a few hours.
The procedure takes 1 minute, and afterwards, the fetal heartbeat is checked to ensure it is normal.
For the first two days, you may experience some abdominal discomfort or period-like pain. It may be helpful to take simple pain relief such as paracetamol.
If you experience severe pain, bleeding, loss of fluid from the vagina, or if you develop a fever, seek medical advice.
The results for Down syndrome and other major chromosomal abnormalities are usually available within 3 days. The results for rare abnormalities take 2 weeks. Once we receive the results, we will call you to inform you.
The risk of miscarriage due to amniocentesis is approximately 1%, and this is the same as the risk associated with chorionic villus sampling. If a miscarriage were to occur as a result of the test, it would happen within the following five days.
Some studies have shown that when amniocentesis is performed before 16 weeks, there is a slight risk of the baby developing clubfoot. To avoid this risk, we never perform amniocentesis before 16 weeks.
