Will an Anomaly Scan at Fetal Medicine Centre be more detailed than my NHS one?

[pinkytheshrunkenhead]

Having a bit of a nightmare. Had an amnio the week before last but I bled when I had it done so the sample could not be used. They asked me to wait another two weeks to have a repeat done next week and I just cannot go through with it to be honest. I felt to unwell after having the first (which quite surprised me to be honest) and I cannot out the baby, me or my Dh through it again. I do have good odds after a nuchal scan but I am very very wobbly about it all as I am 41 (42 when the baby is due).

I wanted to know if having a detailed anomaly scan at Fetal Medicine Centre would be the middle ground? Has anyone here had a scan there and have had a comparable scan with their NHS hospital. Anecdotally two people have said to me that it is 'better' but both of those people remained completely within the private sector for their pregnancies and births so they have nothing to compare it with.

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I think it depends on where you have your other scans done. The FMC are excellent, but so are some NHS hospitals. Kings for example is a centre of excellence, and a friend of mine paid to have a growth scan at the FMC to then be scanned by the same person at kings 3 weeks later!
If you are really concerned it may well be worth a visit there.

Yes not sure how ours compares to others at all. Generally the care they offer is great. I was given the impression that the equipment is better at the FMC than most NHS hospitals.

King's is indeed quite awesome, I had three sonographers in my nuchal scan who wouldn't let me go until all of the measurements were done.

I have been to the FM Unit at Birmingham Womens Hospital - NHS run and brilliant. I could have seen the same professor privately - no point if you can get referred on NHS.

Pinky,
Yes, I think that the equipment is better than at a general NHS hospital, and the staff are particularly expert. TBH, if you are not at Kings, and you can afford the scan, I would go for it for your peace of mind.

Any private scan is more detailed and accurate than nhs according to my midwife.
What were your odds ? I am not sure I could go through amnio with ok odds. Did trey mention nasal bone stomach blood flow etc etc?

As mentioned, much of the team who work at the FMC are at KCH - kypos Nicolaides who is the pioneer of the NT test consults/teaches at KMH and is the director of FMC so no doubt cherry picks the best to come and continue his work, for by no means has he sat on his laurels since nt. There are a slew of other things they check at an nt scan at FMC (I was there last week) that are not included on (most) NHS scans. The most obvious being looking for the nasal bone (which we can often see fo ourselves), checking tricuspid flow (heart) and ductus venosus (liver) and my consultant there perfomed a 'new' test they haven't even published yet measuring another hepatic flow. It took about an hour all told (but baby had a nuchal cord so we tried allowing time/encouraging it to move but no luck!) and was incredibly detailed and reassuring. The blood results came to the room as I was being scanned.

The whole reason I'd gone at all was my NHS nt scan the day before was incredibly brief and I hadn't seen the nasal bone (in addition to a nt measuement higher than my previous pregnancies (although still within nomal limits)). I was also told if I was high risk I'd get a phone call 6 days later if I were high risk - my birthday! Didn't relish the idea of waiting for a possible call on what should be a happy day. The difference in how I felt walking out of each one was night and day - from highly anxious and unable to sleep to completely reassured (FMC gave me the lowest possible risk for my age (I turned 38 on Tuesday)).

I realise you're asking about the anatomy scan but if my experience with the nt scan is anything to go by, it will much more detailed, you are treated with dignity and respect and in no way feel like a neurotic number.

Wrt to your actual worry (you're concerned about various trisomy?) if you can afford it, perhaps consider an amnio at the FMC - Prof. Nicolaides does all the procedures himself and is by all accounts beyond fantastic. But I'm sure the detailed anatomy scan will include checks that should be able to offer you reassurance - hopefully others who have been there for them would be able to confirm this.