The Maternal Safety Foundation has named Stony Brook University Hospital an Accreta Center of Excellence, recognizing its ability to provide superior care for the life-threatening childbirth complication called placenta accreta spectrum disorder.
Placenta accreta is a condition in which the placenta attaches too firmly and too deeply to the uterus, and is unable to detach from the uterus after childbirth. It is a serious condition that can cause severe blood loss if not properly managed and treated.
Stony Brook’s Maternal-Fetal Medicine (MFM) physicians and nurses are high-risk pregnancy experts, specializing in births that are not routine. On average the team at Stony Brook treats 12 Placenta Accreta Spectrum Disorder cases per year. Approximately six to eight weeks before these planned deliveries, the multidisciplinary team meets to prepare for these sometimes difficult cases.
“Roles are defined and plans are carefully crafted to take in all possible situations which may occur in the management of the adherent placenta,” said David Garry, DO, director of Maternal Fetal-Medicine at Stony Brook Medicine and professor of Clinical Obstetrics & Gynecology at the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University. “Mothers and their babies have better outcomes with access to a multidisciplinary team. Our Maternal-Fetal Medicine group understands the fetus as a patient, and the necessity of a multidisciplinary approach to managing complicated maternal and fetal conditions.”
The Accreta Center of Excellence designation was awarded to Stony Brook University Hospital for providing maternal-fetal expertise and access to key, cutting-edge technology. Other distinguishing aspects of the program include the ability to supply massive transfusion and blood services as well as early diagnosis and treatment for placental disorders.
Placenta accreta spectrum disorder was once very uncommon, but is now four times as likely as 40 years ago. The increase is linked to the rise in cesarean births, which have also risen significantly over the last few decades. Women who have had cesarean births are at higher risk of diagnosis, and the likelihood increases depending on the prior number of cesarean births. Women with previous child births and who are aged over 35 are also at higher risk of an accreta diagnosis.
The Maternal Safety Foundation’s goal is to identify specific areas of need in patient safety and quality and create a means of recognizing healthcare institutions that provide a superior level of care.
Add comment