Posted on Oct 30, 2019 in
COVER STORY
Sevinch Serverovna Mamedova, Alikhan Dursunov and their children with the care team at the Houston Methodist Childbirth Center at Sugar Land.
COVER STORY | Photos by Mary Favre –
When an obstetrics emergency occurs and minutes count, Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital provides the highest standard of care close to home.
Members of the nursing staff at Houston Methodist Childbirth Center at Sugar Land.
Sevinch Serverovna Mamedova never expected to give birth that August day. She was only 33 weeks pregnant with her second child, and her due date was almost two months away. A checkup with her obstetrics and gynecology physician (OB-GYN) the day before had shown no sign of problems, but with no warning, she began hemorrhaging badly.
Her husband, Alikhan Dursunov, immediately called 9-1-1. “When I saw the amount of blood she was losing, I was scared,” recalled Dursunov. “I knew it was a race against time to save my wife.”
The paramedics rushed Mamedova to Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital from her home in Missouri City. But before she arrived, Mamedova lost consciousness due to blood loss. She had suffered a placental abruption, a rare, life-threatening condition that occurs when the placenta separates from the inner wall of the uterus.
She and her baby were in trouble.
The Right Place for an Obstetric Emergency
Fortunately for Mamedova and other moms-to-be in Fort Bend County, Houston Methodist Sugar Land is equipped and staffed to handle obstetric emergencies like the one Mamedova was suffering.
Sevinch Serverovna Mamedova with baby Aynur, known as “Stormy” to the Houston Methodist Childbirth Center at Sugar Land NICU nursing team.
The hospital’s recent $60 million renovation and expansion of its women’s center of excellence included construction of renovated labor and delivery suites, new labor and delivery Operating Rooms (ORs) for emergency Cesarean-sections (C-sections) and complex deliveries, as well as a new state-of-the-art Level II Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). The expansion also included a dedicated Obstetric (OB) Emergency Department staffed 24/7 by in-house, board-certified OB hospitalists, who are physicians that only work at the hospital and do not have outpatient practices.
From dedicated obstetrics emergency rooms for rapid maternal assessment to round-the-clock in-house staffing by board-certified OB hospitalists and anesthesiologists – all with specialized training in emergency care for moms and babies – Houston Methodist Sugar Land can respond quickly and appropriately when something goes wrong.
“An obstetrics complication can occur at any time during a pregnancy,” said board-certified OB-GYN Andrew Davis, M.D., OB hospitalist at Houston Methodist Sugar Land. “For example, one in every 200 pregnant women will suffer a placental abruption, and of these cases, the infant mortality rate is about 15 percent. Having a hospital close by that is prepared and capable of responding rapidly is a huge advantage for Fort Bend residents.”
Quick Teamwork Saves the Day
All of Houston Methodist Sugar Land’s valuable resources were mobilized when Mamedova arrived at the hospital.
Within minutes, the decision was made to move Mamedova to a labor and delivery operating room for an emergency C-section. A team of nurses from the Emergency Department, Labor and Delivery and the NICU began the process of moving Mamedova and prepping for surgery while security staff cleared the hallway, opening doors and holding elevators.
Davis rushed downstairs and met the team along the way; everyone was running since time was of the essence. The anesthesiologist, Bracken Kolle, M.D., was already in the OR ready to administer proper pain medications for the emergency C-section.
“When I arrived in the OR, there must have been 30 people in there, all working together for my wife and baby,” Dursunov said. “I am so thankful for all they did. That teamwork saved my wife and baby’s lives!”
Just 23 minutes after Mamedova had arrived in Houston Methodist Sugar Land’s Emergency Department, Davis delivered a beautiful baby girl via C-section.
“It was a miracle,” Dursunov said. “The medical center hospital that we were supposed to give birth at was ready, but we wouldn’t have made it that far. The doctors told us that if it had been just a few minutes later, we could have lost them both.”
An Experience as Perfect as the Moment
Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital.
The recently expanded Houston Methodist Childbirth Center at Sugar Land is designed and staffed to provide all of the support, guidance and expertise you and your baby need, from the first weeks of pregnancy through the big day and beyond.
Houston Methodist Childbirth Center at Sugar Land’s unique amenities include:
- Tranquil, private and family-centered labor and delivery suites
- Dedicated obstetrical (OB) emergency rooms for rapid maternal assessment
- 24/7 access to on-site board-certified OB-GYNs with specialized training in emergency care for moms and babies
- NICU with 24/7 on-site neonatology providers to monitor high-risk and premature babies
- Postpartum care, education and breastfeeding support
- A variety of childbirth classes, as well as guided tours of the facility
Advanced Neonatal Care for Babies in Need
After delivery, the NICU staff, including board-certified neonatologist Shaeequa Dasnadi, M.D., stabilized the baby. Once in recovery, Mamedova regained consciousness, completely unaware that she had given birth. She had no recollection of anything that happened once she began hemorrhaging.
She and Dursunov named their daughter Aynur, but among hospital staff, the little girl was known as “Stormy,” since she arrived with such a fury. Because she was born premature, little Aynur spent 15 days in the hospital’s Level II NICU, until she was strong enough to go home.
Having a Level II NICU – one with board-certified neonatology specialists on-site 24/7 – is a major advantage for parents whose babies require special care and attention. Houston Methodist Sugar Land’s NICU will soon achieve Level III status, allowing the hospital to care for babies born extremely premature or those suffering from a critical illness. It will be Fort Bend’s first and only Level III NICU.
“Having Aynur so close to home was very convenient,” said Dursunov. “I was visiting three times a day, and our family and friends were able to visit without the hassle of traffic and paying for parking in the Medical Center. I am grateful we have a facility like this in Sugar Land. It made a big difference for us.”
Today, Aynur is doing great at home with her mom, dad and her big brother. “I am so thankful for all of the doctors and staff at Houston Methodist Sugar Land,” said Mamedova. “We appreciate all they did for us.”
To register for a Childbirth Center class or tour, visit houstonmethodist.org/events or call 281.205.4514.
