Fortis Escorts Heart Institute conducted a three-day workshop on the importance of Foetal Cardiography and the advantages of Foetal Echo in diagnosing heart defects in the unborn baby. The conference was conducted in association with Philips Healthcare forum; Learning for Life, the workshop was chaired by Dr Ashok Seth, Chairman Cardiac Sciences, Fortis Escorts, Dr Smita Mishra, Senior Consultant, Paediatric Cardiology, Fortis Escorts and Dr John M Simpson, Consultant in Paediatric and Foetal Cardiology, Evlina Children’s hospital UK.
Foetal echocardiography is used in ruling out the serious structural cardiac defect and life threatening arrhythmias, a condition when the heart does not beat to the steady rhythm. The diagnosis and management protocols of foetal arrhythmias are based on echo guided evaluation. On the occasion, Dr John M Simpson, Chief Facilitator, of the Foetal Echocardiography workshop said, “The most important consideration in all foetal intervention is the safety of the mother. The intervention is designed to correct cardiac defects of the unborn baby minimising the risk on mother’s health. Through this event, we want to train doctors on best clinical practices available in the future.”
Commenting on the initiative Dr Smita Mishra, Senior Consultant, Paediatric Cardiology, Fortis Escorts said, “Foetal Intervention is the latest technique in treating heart disorders in the unborn baby without opening the uterus. In near future, this technique will be available in our country and we hope to save many unborn lives through this technique.”
Jitesh Mathur, Senior Director Philips Healthcare said, “Technology is now enabling more accurate diagnostics of foetal heart defects and anomalies. We are bringing these technologies to India and want more and more people in India to benefit from these lifesaving technologies by educating doctors on the best clinical practices.”
EH News Bureau