One of the most exciting parts of my job as a pediatric radiologist at Cincinnati Children’s is the collaboration with other doctors and their healthcare teams. Working together, we help provide the best care for our patients. This is especially true for fetal imaging diagnosis, which is one of my areas of special interest and subspecialty.
Some expecting moms, after getting an ultrasound at their doctor’s office, might need further imaging. At Cincinnati Children’s Radiology Department, our specialized ultrasound and MRI technologists will obtain images that we, as radiologists, will analyze to detect or rule out a potential problem in the baby before he or she is born. Those expecting moms and parents will be seen after all testing is done by doctors at the Fetal Center of Cincinnati in Cincinnati Children’s. With all the information gathered they will be able to receive comprehensive counseling and establish a management plan. This is very helpful as some of those problems might change the way the baby needs to be delivered or might indicate treatments that sometimes need to start even before the baby is born.
The collaborative nature of our work gets enhanced with conferences to share our experience and knowledge during our weekly fetal therapeutic meetings. In addition, we take opportunities to meet with specialists around the globe. Last month, I had the opportunity to attend and present at a GlobalCast Virtual Event covering “Fetal Obstructive Uropathy.” During this virtual meeting, organized by Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, I presented the most important imaging clues to provide a correct diagnosis. The fetal surgeons, pediatric urologists, maternal-fetal medicine specialists, nephrologists and pediatric colorectal and renal transplant surgeons were also presenting how they approach and treat these babies at different stages. They discussed how technological advances are making it possible for very sick neonates to survive and thrive. It was really encouraging to see how many specialists from around the world were able to join us and to see that these virtual meetings are more relevant than ever during the COVID-19 pandemic.
