'I had groundbreaking laser surgery in the womb that saved my unborn twins'

Mum Sarah Lang, 38, from Fleet in Hampshire, was also diagnosed with the high-risk complication . In an attempt to save the lives of her unborn twins, she underwent cutting-edge laser womb surgery.

Thankfully, it was a flying success and identical Arlo and Albie were born safely.

Sarah, who works for an insurance broker company, was understandably anxious about - after all, laser surgery is a relatively new procedure. She said: "It’s a very emotional time. Some pregnancies with this condition don’t have a good outcome, and I was very anxious during and after the surgery in case anything went wrong. But it can all end well - my twins are doing amazing now and I’m enjoying them every single day."

Sarah, who is single and also has a 14-year-old son, Alfie, was shocked when she discovered she was with identical twins rather than just one baby.

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She said: "I had no idea I was pregnant with twins. I’d suffered a just a month before, and I fell pregnant again quickly. When I went for my first scan, I couldn’t believe it when the sonographer told me she could see two heartbeats."

Sarah's pregnancy ran smoothly until she was 21 weeks pregnant, when a further scan revealed the twins were suffering from . It’s a condition that can affect identical twins in the womb who share a placenta and a network of blood vessels. It occurs when blood flow between the twins becomes unbalanced, with one twin receiving less blood and nutrients than the other one.

This imbalance can lead to severe complications for one or both babies, including premature birth, heart failure, or death.

Sarah said: "I was so shocked when I heard that's what they had. It was so frightening, not knowing if they were both going to make it."

Sarah had to be given risky surgery immediately, where surgeons attempt to seal off some of the connecting blood vessels by laser, to try and even off the blood flow to the babies.

She said: "It was risky surgery and I knew that both or one of the twins may not make it."

About 90 per cent of twins diagnosed with an advanced stage of TTTS early in pregnancy are at risk of passing away before birth.

In 85-90 per cent of pregnancies that received treatment, at least one twin survives. In 50-65 per cent of cases, both twins survive.

Luckily for Sarah, the laser surgery at St George’s Hospital in Tooting was a success. It was carried out by Professor Asthma Khalil, who said she is delighted Sarah is doing so well.

Prof Khalil said: "The surgery took 30 minutes, and we made a tiny one-centimetre cut into the abdominal skin, and put a tiny telescope inside Sarah’s uterus. We were able to access the blood vessels that connected the two babies and seal them using a thin laser fibre. It’s essential in these cases to separate the circulation between the babies.

"TTTS is very dangerous for both babies, but luckily, Sarah has had an excellent outcome. She had the worry of losing one or both babies and having to go through it on her own, so we were there to support her through it.

"It’s been a hard journey for her, but she now has two beautiful children."

The twins were delivered by caesarean at 34 weeks, with little Arlo weighing 4Ib 9, and tiny Albie at 4Ib 6.

In a touching nod to his new big brother status, Sarah added that the twins were the perfect present for the newly turned teenager. Sarah said: "Their brother Alfie turned 13 the day after they were born, so that was a lovely birthday present for him.

"When I finally held the twins in my arms after they were born at Frimley Park Hospital, I wept tears of relief. It was incredibly emotional, knowing that they had been through all that. It could have all been so different, so to have both of them with me finally safe was the most amazing feeling."

"They stayed in hospital for a week, then I was allowed to take Arlo home, but Albie had to stay in as his oxygen levels kept dipping. It was awful taking him home, and leaving his brother behind. But he was able to come home too a few days later."

Sarah, who has been supported by the Twins Trust, added: "It is so emotional. I struggled with guilt when I knew what was wrong - I kept blaming myself that it was something that I had done. So my message to anyone in this position is to hang on in there. It is very hard to deal with, but there is hope and my twins have now been born safe and well."

Sarah added: "To see my sons running around now as healthy 18 months old, is the best thing ever. I love being a mum every day.

"It didn’t seem like it would be possible at some parts throughout my pregnancy, but now I’m putting it all behind me and looking forward to the future with my miracle boys. I know it could all have been so different, and I feel so lucky."