Texas Children's Hospital Hosts Medical Conference, Advances in Women's Healthcare Imaging

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Jan 29, 2013, 08:00 ET

HOUSTON, Jan. 29, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Texas Children's Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine welcomed US-based and international obstetricians and gynecologists, radiologists, and sonographers to Houston for the Advances in Women's Healthcare Imaging Conference held on January 18-19.

A primary objective of this conference was to review approaches in diagnostic imaging for women's health care and outline the most effective ways to integrate the information in to clinical practice. Updating health professionals in the diagnosis and therapy of disorders relevant to obstetrics and gynecology is essential to providing quality care for improved patient outcomes.

Invited faculty included Drs. Beryl Benacerraf (Harvard Medical School, Boston MA), Jim Shywader (University of Mississippi, Jackson, MI), George Bega (Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, PA) and Gregor Kasprian (Medical University of Vienna, Austria). Faculty speakers from both OBGYN and Radiology disciplines covered a wide variety of topics that were pertinent to the diagnosis and management of problems in obstetrics and gynecology.

Through a 2-day series of lectures, case presentations, question and answer sessions, use of an interactive audience response system, and live scan demonstrations; the following clinical subjects were explored:

Recognizing and evaluating congenital anomalies of the fetal brain, chest and heart using prenatal ultrasound or MRI
Advanced diagnostic imaging technologies (3D/4D ultrasonography and MRI) to evaluate fetuses with congenital anomalies and patients with gynecological disorders
Diagnostic ultrasonography to evaluate pelvic pain and abnormal bleeding and to detect adnexal masses including ectopic pregnancy
Diagnostic imaging to evaluate twins for pregnancy complications such as intrauterine growth restriction, premature delivery and twin-twin transfusion syndrome
Factors associated with medico legal complications in diagnostic imaging practice and relevant strategies for minimizing liability in women's health care

The multidisciplinary nature of this educational activity gave clinicians an opportunity to learn in a specialized environment that encouraged forward thinking of imaging solutions. "Our community understands the importance of accurate and timely diagnostic imaging for both obstetrical and gynecological diseases. We are committed to fostering a multi-disciplinary approach for advancing imaging techniques through cross-institutional training and knowledge sharing," said Dr. Wesley Lee, Section Chief of Women's and Fetal Imaging in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Baylor College of Medicine and a Co-Director of the Fetal Center at Texas Children's Pavilion for Women. "Thanks to all of the attendees and guest speakers who participated in the event, our inaugural fetal imaging conference was a huge success and we plan to continue offering the program on a regular basis."

Texas Children's Maternal and Fetal Center is located on the Pavilion's fourth floor and is one of only a handful of facilities in the world to offer a full spectrum of maternal and fetal care. Comprehensive services include management of any complex pregnancy, genetic counseling and the full range of fetal diagnostic procedures. The imaging program at the Texas Children's Hospital Fetal Center is equipped to handle a full spectrum of prenatal testing that includes a range of ultrasound services, advanced imaging capabilities such as 3D/4D ultrasound and fetal MRI, invasive diagnostics, and fetal echocardiography.

Texas Children's is among the nation's leaders in providing high-risk maternal care and the diagnosis and treatment of abnormalities in unborn and newborn infants.

For more information, please visit http://women.texaschildrens.org/fetalcenter/.

About Texas Children's Hospital
Texas Children's Hospital, a not-for-profit organization, is committed to creating a community of healthy children through excellence in patient care, education and research. Consistently ranked among the top children's hospitals in the nation, Texas Children's has recognized Centers of Excellence in multiple pediatric subspecialties including the Cancer and Heart Centers, and operates the largest primary pediatric care network in the country. Texas Children's is completing a $1.5 billion expansion, which includes the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute; Texas Children's Pavilion for Women, a comprehensive obstetrics/gynecology facility focusing on high-risk births; and Texas Children's Hospital West Campus, a community hospital in suburban West Houston. For more information on Texas Children's, go to www.texaschildrens.org. Get the latest news from Texas Children's by visiting the online newsroom and on Twitter at twitter.com/texaschildrens.

Contacts: Christy Brunton	Sarah Frankoff
O: (832) 824-2645	O: (512) 628-0343
C: (281) 684-3184	C: (713) 553-8984
cbrunto@texaschildrens.org	[email protected]