Early Pregnancy Clinic / Recurrent Miscarriage Clinic
Specialised ONE STOP clinic
For appointments- Please contact: 01628 760900
An Early Pregnancy Clinic is available at The Bridge Clinic. Early pregnancy is an exciting time for you and your family. This time is also filled with anxiety partly due to variety of symptoms you may experience. Some of these symptoms are a normal part of your pregnancy while others need specialist input to ensure they are well managed. When a pregnancy is not progressing in the normal way, it is very important to diagnose this promptly to help you to deal with the situation early. This may include miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy. You also sometimes need reassurance that the pregnancy is growing well in the normal place and need answers from the experts regarding these symptoms and any questions you may have.
Women with pre-existing risk factors for pregnancy and miscarriage (recurrent miscarriage, previous ectopic pregnancy/late miscarriage, women with medical conditions, IVF pregnancy, etc.) need early specialist input to improve the outcome for the pregnancy.
With this in mind we have set up this dedicated early pregnancy clinic to provide advanced, evidence based care to women during early pregnancy in a homely, confidential environment. This is a one stop clinic where women with early pregnancy issues are seen by the Consultant Gynaecologist who also performs an ultrasound scan. Pregnancy hormone blood or urine tests are also performed if needed to arrive at a diagnosis. Consultation and ultrasound scanning are performed at the same visit with the aim of arriving at a diagnosis in a single visit. Thereby repeat visits are minimised saving you valuable time.
The service is delivered by Consultant Gynaecologist, Mr V Vathanan, who has advanced training in early pregnancy complications, thereby you are assured of the highest quality, up to date care during this important period. Mr Vathanan has extensive experience in early pregnancy management and completed his advanced training in early pregnancy and acute gynaecology from Imperial College, London, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, London and King's College London. He has participated in multicentre studies and published several research articles in peer reviewed journals. He is also the Lead Consultant for Early pregnancy and Acute Gynaecology services at the local NHS Trust.
We see patients up to the 13th week of pregnancy with problems such as:
- Bleeding
- Abdominal pain
- Previous Ectopic pregnancy
- Previous miscarriage
- Recurrent miscarriage
- Previous Hydatidiform Mole
- Reassurance or early dating scan
- Who require the Harmony Test
We are also able to see patients who require early reassurance or those requiring early follow on care having achieved pregnancy through fertility treatments, including patients treated abroad. We are happy to liaise with your previous treatment providers to continue the care locally.
We will provide a photo of the ultrasound picture of your baby free of cost. A detailed report will be provided including ultrasound scan findings and consultation summary.
Appointments may consist of:
- Consultation with the Consultant Gynaecologist
- Ultrasound scan by the Consultant Gynaecologist
- Pregnancy urine test if needed.
- Discussion with the Consultant regarding further advice/investigation/treatment options
- Pregnancy blood test (if required – with additional fees)
Referrals can be made by your GP, Midwife or Practice Nurse.
You may also self-refer if preferred.
Harmony Test
Mr Vathanan is able to counsel and advise in regard to the Harmony Test for fetal chromosomal abnormalities. This involves a blood test and ultrasound scan on pregnant mothers in early pregnancy to screen for certain fetal chromosomal abnormalities including Down syndrome and sex chromosome defects. This is a more highly sensitive test than the nuchal translucency test. Results are available within 1 week. For more information please click this link.
Appointments consist of:
- Ultrasound scan of the baby to confirm the gestation
- Counselling by the consultant regarding the Harmony test
- Harmony blood test
- Results will be discussed over the phone (if you prefer you can have face to face consultation for the results)
Recurrent Miscarriage Clinic
1 - 3% of couples suffer 3 consecutive miscarriages. Recurrent miscarriage management is ever evolving. In order to get the current advice on the investigations and management you need a specialist with current knowledge and specialization. Mr Vathanan has undergone training and has extensive experience in managing patients with recurrent miscarriage. He runs the recurrent miscarriage clinic at the local NHS Trust.
We have established links with laboratories to do all the current/advanced investigations for recurrent miscarriage including thrombophilia, antiphospholipid and Natural Killer cell (NK cell) testing. Some of our tests are performed at laboratories in the USA. Therefore, you are assured of high quality investigation at an affordable price.
Appointments consist of:
- Consultation with the consultant Gynaecologist
- Investigations
- Follow up consultation to discuss the investigation results
- You may need further advanced investigations based on the initial investigation results and your previous medical and reproductive history
Our clinic timings are flexible including an evening service for your convenience. We aim to provide ultrasound scanning as soon as possible, including same day appointment for urgent cases if possible with no extra cost. For any further information or to make an appointment please do not hesitate to contact the Ultrasound Department or Nurse in Charge on 01628 760900.
Prices
Information about fees can be found here: https://gynaecologistwindsor.co.uk/news/our-charges/
Recurrent miscarriage investigations:
This depends on what investigations you need for your condition and will be discussed and explained to you during your initial consultation. You may not need all the investigations. You may decide to have all or part of the investigations based on your circumstances.
Investigation costs will be explained clearly before proceeding to any investigations. Please contact our clinic if you want to know the cost of a particular investigation.
Mr Vathanan is also able to offer general gynaecology services. For more information please visit his website or contact his secretary on 01628 760900.
Useful links:
- Mr Vathanan's website: www.gynaecologistwindsor.co.uk
- The Association of early pregnancy units – Early pregnancy information centre:
www.earlypregnancy.org.uk - Miscarriage association:
www.miscarriageassociation.org.uk - Ectopic pregnancy trust:
www.ectopic.org.uk - Hydatidiform Mole and Choriocarcinoma UK Information and Support Service:
www.hmole-chorio.org.uk - Royal college of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists:
www.rcog.org.uk - NHS Choices Patient information:
www.nhs.uk
(DISCLAIMER: We are not and cannot be held responsible for the accuracy or quality of material in linked resources, nor do we necessarily share views or opinions expressed.)