Best perinatologist and OB in Northern Virginia or DC

[Anonymous]

Just moved here and just found out I'm pregnant.

Given my background (very premature baby born last time), I want to find a great perinatologist and OB right away. Here's my wish list.

1. Perinatologist who actually delivers babies? Or at least OB and perinatologist team that work closely together.
2. Doctors who understand that my history makes me extremely nervous, and will take extra time and be extra thorough
3. Doctors who deliver at the hospital with the BEST NICU around. I want that safety net.
4. Doctor who isn't anti-cerclage.

I really appreciate your feedback and I'm a little freaked out.

[Anonymous]

OP here. I've been doing online research and found that Georgetown University Hospital and the Children's Hospital have Level-4 Neonatal ICU's. So that decides my hospitals for me.

I've also used this forum to find perinatologists practising at these two hospitals. So, now, I guess my question really is -- which OB should I select based on my hospital and perinatologist choices?

I'd really appreciate your advice.

[Anonymous]

Doesn't Inova Fairfax have a top-rate NICU? All of my high-risk friends delivered there. I have heard great things about Dr. Khourre (sp?),

[Anonymous]

i had a cerclage done preventively at about 13 weeks. saw my rgular ob/gyn-- Andersen, Maanavi, Muasher, Davis, Yoon in Fairfax and then they had me see a the perinat group at FxHos.... some months i was at the ob/gyn for reg appts one week and at the peri the next so i spent LOTS of time at a docs office but well worth it. i delivered at FxHos with schedule C b/c DS was breech and Yoon did it... i think around 36 weeks i ended my peri appts b/c i was "out of hte woods" for an early delivery.
VERY happy with care i received in both places

good luck!!!!

[Anonymous]

There is only one practice that delivers at Georgetown, and there are only 3-4 MFMs in that practice (in addition to 8-10 generalists), so if you want to deliver at GUH you don't have that much of a choice. Georgetown is known in this area as being a top-notch hospital for high-risk deliveries. My baby was in NICU for three nights, and I can vouch first-hand about the excellent care she received there. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

I have heard great things about Dr. Al-Kouatly who is a perinatologist who delivers at Inova Fairfax which has an excellent NICU (I have heard it's the best NICU in the area).
Here are reviews on Dr. Al-Kouatly:
http://www.ratemds.com/filecache/doctor-ratings.jsp?did=37302

Good Luck.

[Anonymous]

I'd recommend Perinatal Associates of Northern Va. They work at both Fair Oaks and Fairfax hospitals. I go to their Antenatal Diagnostic Center at Fair Oaks. I still see my regular OB, but if I had known how often I would be in their office, I would have probably just switch to Perinatal Associates for everything.

[Anonymous]

I can't recommend Perinatal Associates highly enough. Drs. Khoury, Bronsky, Al Kouatly and Nies. Dr. Khoury was the original reason I went to Perinatal Associates. In addition to the work he does with his private practice he is the head of the high risk perinatal unit at Inova Fairfax (the only Level IV NICU in northern VA). Once I started seeing the doctors at Perinatal Associates I was, frankly, a little bit disappointed with Dr. Bronsky's bluntness and Dr. Al Kouatly's lack of time to answer my many questions. But with everything that happened I learned what amazing doctors they are, how unimportant my questions were and why they are so upfront with their patients. They really handle the most crucial cases and are busy saving lives.

I went to them because I was pregnant with twins and wanted to be with a practice that really knew how to handle a twin pregnancy. I really thought I was being over-cautious to go to them but it turns out that decision may have been the best and most important one I ever made. My babies turned out to be quite small for their gastational age throughout the pregnancy, in a period of two weeks my cervix went from over 4 centimeters to over 2 centimeters. It was Dr. Bronsky who decided I wasn't leaving my appointment (at the hosptial where they have many of their appointments) when he saw their sizes and what was happening with my cervix. I lietally went to the doctor for a pregnancy check up and didn't leave until 9 weeks later. It was absolutely the right decision. My cervix even lengthened while I was at the hospital. My babies were born small (3 1/2 and 4 1/2 pounds) but only one day before my scheduled c-section and very healthy. They both scored 8s on their apgars a few minutes after birth. They stayed in the NICU for 2 weeks, mostly for monitoring and did really well there. And we were SO impressed with the AWESOME NICU.

Now a word about Drs. Bronsky and Al Kouatly. I asked to have my c-seciton with either Dr. Khoury or Dr. Bronsky (because after 9 weeks in the hospital with him I grew to appreciate Dr. Bronsky's straight-forward style and I'd always loved Dr. Khoury.) I didn't know Dr. Nies and I still hadn't forgiven Dr. Al Kouatly for seeming too busy for me when I saw her. I was scheduled with Dr. Bronsky but went into labor a day early (six weeks ago today) and Dr. Al Kouatly was on call. Amazing is not the word. It turned out I had preeclampsia but they just realized that right before the section. Actually I don't know if I went into labor or was experiencing pain from the preeclamsia. I just know I called the nurse into my room she did some tests, called the dr and the doctor wanted to start my c-section immediately. (Tomorrow is my follow up appointment and I will hopefully learn more about what happened). Dr. Al Kouatly told me about the preeclasia immedately after the surgery and said they were sending me for treatment but she told me in such a way that I (a nervous person) kept calm about it. I also didn't know, until we were out of the woods, that my preecampsia became extremely serious. She may have saved my life, in part, by keeping me calm, becuase it was one of theose situations where the psycological element was important. What really amazes me is that not only did she resolve such a serious issue but throughout she was so calm and professional that I was pretty relaxed and through it all and even gave me the most perfect c-seciton scar. As I told my husband, I still would have thought she was an outstanding dr. if my scar was awful.

[Anonymous]

I'm the previous poster and forgot to mention I knew a few women in the hospital who had clerages put in by the Perinatal Associates drs.

[Anonymous]

OP here to the 17:48 PP. Thanks for sharing your story. And congratulations on your happy ending!

[Anonymous]

I was high risk at GT for 2 pregnancies. The MFM or peri practice is small with 3 attendings and 3 fellows. You only see the primay or attending for appointments and they attend your birth. The primary peris are Dr Landy, Dr. Bolan, and Dr Collea. I love Dr Landy. I like Dr Bolan but she is more quiet and you need to ask more open ended questions to draw her out. She really is patient and supportive but if you ask a yes or no question she will give give you a yes or no with an awkard pause. I didn't like Collea, he is strange and I found his bedside manner a bit patronizing but I would not worry about his ability. The NICU is very good. We were there for a few weeks.

Dr Bolan seems the most conservative so if you are nervous and want to push for more monitoring I would sign up for her as the primary. Dr Landy is great in that she doesn't always treat high risk as an impending medical disaster but she is pretty evidence based and may push back more if you want more tests or interventions for greater piece of mind.

[Anonymous]

Third vote for Perinatal Associates - I loved Dr. Nies and was with them for 2 high risk pregnancies. I actually did not love Fairfax but they do have a top NICU.

[Anonymous]

Dr. Khoury and the Perinatal Associates of Northern Virgina practice saved my baby's life. They kept me in the hospital for 11 weeks but got my baby from 21 to 32 weeks gestation. I self referred myself and that day they admitted me to the hospital. They are wonderful!

[Anonymous]

I had 2 high risk pregnancies and went to Dr Khoury - HE IS THE BEST! I highly recommend him!!!! Everyone in his practice is great! He is Chief of Staff at Inova hospital and that should be enough said. If you are his patient he will make sure you are taken care of physically and mentally.
I cant say enough great things about him. I almost want a third bc he made it a GREAT experience.

[Anonymous]

I LOVED Perinatal Associates. They are truly the best in the area. Dr. Nies delivered my baby, but I really liked all of the docs (Bronsky, Khoury and Al-Kouatley) in that practice.