In this section
The Obstetric Cardiac service is a specialised service for women who have heart disease who are pregnant, or who are thinking about having a baby.
Women from across the North West of England, North Wales and the Isle of Man use this service, which provides preconception, antenatal, intrapartum and postnatal care. The aim is to provide pregnancy-focused, woman-centred care.
Our team
A large team of clinicians contribute to this service including:
Obstetricians:
Dr Sarah Vause, Consultant Obstetrician
Dr Anna Roberts, Consultant Obstetrician
Cardiologists:
Professor Bernard Clarke, Consultant Cardiologist
Dr Damien Cullington, Consultant Cardiologist
Professor Bernard Keavney, Consultant Cardiologist
Dr Omar Asghar, Fellow in Obstetric Cardiology
Specialist midwife:
Ann Ratcliffe
Anaesthetists
Cardiac technicians and many others
How can I access this service?
Women with known or suspected heart disease (or aortic disease) should be referred by their GP or consultant for preconception advice. Any women who are already booked in at Saint Mary’s who have known or suspected heart disease (or aortic disease) should be referred as early in pregnancy as possible.
Women with moderate or high risk cardiac disease who are booked at other hospitals should also be referred, although some may continue their care in their local hospital if this seems appropriate.
A referral letter should be sent to Dr Sarah Vause, Consultant Obstetrician, Saint Mary’s Hospital, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9WL or faxed to (0161) 276 6143. Please include as much detail as possible.
If the referral is urgent, please telephone (0161) 276 6426 or contact Dr Vause or Professor Clarke via the hospital switchboard (0161) 276 1234.
Location
Antenatal Department, Saint Mary’s Hospital, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9WL.
Clinic times
The team run a clinic on Tuesday mornings seeing women for preconception advice, antenatal care and postnatal care.
Most women attending this clinic will have an echo and an ECG performed, before seeing the midwife, and then the obstetrician and cardiologist. An anaesthetist is also available in clinic and fetal echocardiography and obstetric ultrasound can be done at the same visit.
If women are admitted to hospital they are cared for by the same team on the ward.
Information on contraception for women with cardiac conditions.