Cnrstn 03.09 - Winthrop University Hospital

Winter/Spring 2009
The Most Precious Gift
(continued from cover)
baby until a follow-up sonogram confirmed
the recurrence of fluid in the
pleural cavity.
“A second procedure to drain the
fluid by way of a fetal pleuro-amniotic
shunt was necessary,” said Dr. Chavez.
“The benefits of this procedure far outweighed
any risks.”
This innovative procedure, only
available at select hospitals nationwide,
is performed under local anesthetic
and involves positioning a flexible
tube between the fetal pleural
cavity and the amniotic fluid
surrounding the unborn
baby. The shunt acts as a
drain to prevent additional
fluid build up and is removed
shortly after the baby is born.
Within minutes of undergoing
the procedure, a sonogram
displayed the dramatic decrease in
fluid levels.
“I saw the sonogram picture and
said, ‘Oh my goodness! That’s a different
baby!’… that’s how different the
before and after photos looked,” said
Mrs. Voorhest.
While the remainder of her pregnancy
required additional monitoring
both in the Hospital and at home,
Mrs. Voorhest had a full term 39
week pregnancy. She gave birth to
a healthy baby girl, Emily Ryan, who
weighed 7 lbs., 7 oz., at Winthrop on
December 1, 2008.
Baby Emily went home with her
mom and dad after being monitored in
Winthrop’s Neonatal Intensive Care
Unit (NICU) for just a few days. Today,
she continues to do wonderfully and
her parents are forever grateful to the
Winthrop specialists who helped make
that possible.
“The care we received at Winthrop
was absolutely phenomenal! Everyone
– all of the doctors, nurses, sonogram
techs, and anesthesiologists – took
wonderful care of us. The nurses in
Amniotic Fluid
Fetal Chest
the NICU
were also outstanding,”
said
Mrs. Voorhest
recently. “Anyone
experiencing problems during their
pregnancy should definitely go to
Winthrop – they are lifesavers!”
A regional healthcare resource
committed to the dignity and well being
of every patient, Winthrop-University
Hospital offers a full range of inpatient
and outpatient services, including comprehensive
obstetric and gynecological
services. Winthrop is a New York State
Regional Perinatal Center (RPC), a
prestigious designation that recognizes
the Hospital’s ability to deliver the highest
level of obstetrical and perinatal
care. In addition, Winthrop’s comprehensive
Children’s Center is a member
of the esteemed National Association of
Children’s Hospitals and Related
Institutions (NACHRI).
Under the expert leadership of
Anthony M. Vintzileos, MD, Chairman
of the Department of Obstetrics
and Gynecology at Winthrop, the
Department has recently expanded
and enhanced its world-class obstetrical
services with the addition of
Dr. Chavez and Dr. Kinzler in 2008
Uterine Wall
Fetal
Pleuro-Amniotic
Shunt
(left) Dr. Chavez holds the shunt after it is removed from the
baby’s chest wall.
to the outstanding Maternal-Fetal
Medicine team which also includes
Genevieve B. Sicuranza, MD, Vice
Chair, Department of Obstetrics &
Gynecology, and Chief of Obstetrics at
Winthrop, and Graham G. Ashmead,
MD, Vice Chair, Department of
Obstetrics & Gynecology, and Co-
Director of the Maternal-Fetal
Medicine Fellowship Program at
Winthrop. Dr. Chavez and Dr. Kinzler
are renowned for their expertise as
outstanding clinicians, educators and
researchers in the field of maternalfetal
medicine.
Approximately 5,000 babies begin
their lives each year in Winthrop’s
family-friendly New Life Center, a
modern, up-to-date facility that offers
16 labor-delivery-recovery rooms,
each attractively decorated to provide
a comfortable, home-like environment.
While the ambiance in the New Life
Center is tranquil, expectant moms
and dads can feel secure in the
knowledge that the sophisticated
technology and vast resources of a
major teaching hospital are close at
hand should a complication develop.
For more information on obstetrical
and gynecological services at Winthrop,
call 1-866-WINTHROP. ■
12 Cornerstone