The UCLA Fetal Cardiology program offers world-class care by utilizing state-of-the-art technology in a compassionate and caring environment. The program has been in existence for over 25 years and is currently led by Co-Directors Gary M Satou, MD FASE and Mark Sklansky MD. Our senior sonographer, Karen Ambrowitz, is a Registered Diagnostic Medical Sonographer (RDMS) with formal certification in fetal echocardiograpy. We provide multidisciplinary care to the patient and family from a variety of specialized services including pediatric cardiology, pediatric cardiothoracic surgery, neonatal ICU (NICU), medical genetics and genetic counseling, and maternal fetal medicine. Patients are referred from across southern and central California, and beyond.
Expert fetal cardiac evaluation is performed using superior ultrasound machinery with the highest resolution imaging available, including 2D and Doppler analysis, as well as 3D and 4D technology. This allows us to perform first trimester screening so that patients can be referred at the earliest stages of pregnancy.
In addition to excellent clinical care, our physicians are actively involved in teaching and lecturing on fetal echocardiography and fetal cardiology to other physicians, medical trainees, and sonographers, as well as conducting research.
When a patient is referred to our program and fetal cardiac disease is diagnosed, we immediately spend time with the family educating and counseling them. This service is provided by our physicians as well as our program nurse coordinators. A consultation with a neonatal ICU specialist is provided and tours of the Labor and Delivery floor and the UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital are available. We are able to provide this all-in-one service because of the unique, centralized location of the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center and the UCLA Mattel Children's hospital. The Labor and Delivery floor and the Neonatal ICU are immediately adjacent to each other, as are the other components of the UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital. This provides for a seamless transition for the medical team as well as the mother, newborn, and family.
