Cardio Obstetrics Program

Overview

UR Medicine has a unique multidisciplinary program for pregnant people with cardiac disease. The Cardio Obstetrics Program at UR Medicine is the only program of its kind in Upstate New York.

Although having a baby is an exciting time, having cardiac disease can put both parent and baby at risk for complications before and during delivery. There are normal changes that the body undergoes during pregnancy to support the developing baby; however, for those with cardiac disease, these changes can put additional strain on the heart.

Individuals with cardiac conditions who are considering pregnancy or who are pregnant should be cared for by a team of specialists. This can help reduce risks of heart disease and provide families with the support and treatment they need during the extraordinary, but often difficult, months of pregnancy.

What to Expect from the Cardio Obstetrics Program

Women with cardiac conditions are followed under the UR Medicine Cardio Obstetrics Program. This integrative, multidisciplinary team of physicians and care providers include those from the following Divisions and Departments:

Adult Cardiology
Adult Congenital Heart Disease
Cardiac Anesthesia
Cardiac Intensive Care
High-Risk Obstetrics
Obstetric Anesthesia
Pediatric Cardiology

Every other month, the Cardio Obstetrics Team (including extended members such as care coordinators and inpatient nursing) reviews every patient with complex heart disease who is pregnant. This ensures the cardiac and inpatient teams are fully prepared to manage your overall pregnancy care and delivery care.

Care Coordination

Our outpatient provider teams will help with coordinating appointments, answering questions, and keeping you and your family informed of planned services and test results.

Reproductive Genetics

Our integrated office offers reproductive genetics services, which can help determine if a specific cardiac disease can be passed on to your child. We will also explain the screening options for common pregnancy concerns.

Level II OB/GYN Ultrasound and Fetal Echocardiogram

Pregnant individuals with structural heart differences are at higher risk for their child having structural heart differences. We offer AIUM certified Level II OB/GYN ultrasound including fetal echocardiography, assuring fetal assessment and fetal monitoring is available on-site. This allows the team to have all the information available to help guide pregnancy management. We also work collaboratively with our Pediatric Cardiology colleagues and our NICU to provide comprehensive care for our patients.

Pregnancy Planning

Planned pregnancies are healthy pregnancies. If you have pre-existing cardiac disease and are considering your reproductive options our team is happy to discuss pregnancy risks and make sure you enter pregnancy as healthy as possible.

Contraceptive Services

Cardiac disease can limit the options for contraception. Our team works closely with the UR Medicine Complex Contraception Clinic to ensure you have a full range of counseling and options.

What Sets Us Apart?

In addition to providing complex cardiac care, UR Medicine Maternal-Fetal Medicine offers referrals and care coordination for all aspects of reproductive care. We also offer easy access to a Behavioral Health Specialist to ensure our patients’ mental health needs are supported.

UR Medicine Maternal-Fetal Medicine’s obstetrics ultrasound unit is certified by the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine to perform Level 2 ultrasounds—these are more in-depth ultrasound evaluations for your infant(s). Our experienced Registered Diagnostic Medical Sonographers and state-of-the-art equipment including 3D/4D capabilities help diagnose effectively. We offer fetal assessment and fetal monitoring on-site at both of our office locations, giving our providers access to all the needed information available.