About us

The Fetal Medicine Unit at St George's Hospital opened in August 1996. This is the latest of complementary centres of excellence within St George's Hospital which include a High Risk obstetric ward, neonatal unit, medical genetics and cytogenetics, paediatric surgery, virology and pathology departments. The Fetal Medicine Unit is part of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology headed by Professor Stuart Campbell. It is situated on the 4th Floor of the Lanesborough Wing and is a purpose built unit which has five separate scanning rooms plus a CTG room. One of the scanning rooms is especially equipped as a 'state of the art' procedures room where most of the invasive procedures are carried out including fetal surgery. We also have administrative offices, reception and waiting areas. A new computer system has been installed and equipped with a fetal database, thus allowing a full report to be written and the storage and printing of ultrasound pictures.

It is felt that every major teaching hospital should have such a unit to serve the interests of the local community and act as a tertiary referral service for district hospitals in the surrounding region.

The Fetal Medicine Unit carries out nuchal translucency scans and routine 20 week scans. In addition it accepts referrals for specific procedures and potential fetal abnormalities. All referrals for fetal abnormalities are treated as emergencies and an appointment will be made for the same or next day.

Procedures

Invasive procedures

Amniocentesis
Chorion Villus Sampling
Fetal Blood Sampling
Fetal Blood Transfusion
Skin Biopsy
Liver Biopsy
Urine Sampling*
Shunt/Aspiration*
Amnio drainage*
Amnio infusion*
Embryo reduction (fetocide)*

The non-invasive procedures are as follow

Dopplers
Nuchal Scan (11-14 weeks)
Fetal Abnormality Scan (20 weeks)
Follow up scans for Abnormalities diagnosed

Booking

In order to refer a patient who is not booked at St George's Hospital to The Fetal Medicine Unit, we are happy to make an appointment by telephone and will then ask for a letter of referral to be faxed to us. Alternatively, the patients can bring a letter with them to their appointment.