Newswise — Hackensack Meridian Health Hackensack University Medical Center is pleased to announce that Abdulla Al-Khan, M.D., FACS, FACOG, director of the Division of Maternal and Fetal Medicine and the Center of Abnormal Placentation at Hackensack University Medical Center, shared wisdom and best practices, internationally, by presenting recently at a Women’s Health Initiatives symposium in Cairo, Egypt.

Speaking to an audience of approximately 1,500 health care providers, many from major academic medical centers across Europe, Dr. Al-Khan offered improved surgical and research strategies for treating patients with abnormal placentation.

“In today’s day and age, no mother should die of a childbirth complication,” said Dr. Al-Khan. “Every mother should live to raise a healthy child.”

Dr. Al-Khan discussed the high rate of cesarean sections and the accompanying risk of problems associated with placental formation in subsequent pregnancies, including increased incidence of placenta accreta, a high-risk pregnancy complication that happens when the placenta becomes embedded too deeply in the uterine wall.

Dr. Al-Khan offered strategies for addressing these issues. He described his team’s approach, from a surgical and a scientific perspective – and called for further discussion to promote improved outcomes on behalf of women and their families.

“I want to commend Dr. Al-Khan for sharing his expertise on a global level, working across borders to advance the health and well-being of women and their babies,” said Ihor S. Sawczuk, M.D., president of Hackensack University Medical Center. “He fully embodies our mission to provide the highest quality, human-centered care.”

Dr. Al-Khan delivered the keynote talks March 21-23, 2018. He also toured the facilities at Cairo University Hospital, including the Maternal Fetal Medicine Units.

The Center for Abnormal Placentation at Hackensack University Medical Center provides a multidisciplinary team of specialists from the departments of Anesthesiology, Urology, Vascular Surgery, Radiology, Intensive Care, Plastic Surgery, Neonatology, Nursing, and Pathology. This innovative program has been developed and designed to serve as a model for regional, national and international institutions.

“It’s humbling,” Dr. Al-Khan said, reflecting on his desire for continued collaboration with colleagues around the world. “They reached out for help from more than 5,000 miles away.”

About Hackensack Meridian Health Hackensack University Medical Center

Hackensack Meridian Health Hackensack University Medical Center, a 781-bed nonprofit teaching and research hospital located in Bergen County, NJ, is the largest provider of inpatient and outpatient services in the state. Founded in 1888 as the county’s first hospital, it is now part of one of the largest networks in the state comprised of 33,000 team members and more than 6,500 physicians. Hackensack University Medical Center was listed as the number one hospital in New Jersey in U.S. News & World Report’s 2017-18 Best Hospital rankings - maintaining its place atop the NJ rankings since the rating system was introduced. It was also named one of the top four New York Metro Area hospitals. Hackensack University Medical Center is one of only five major academic medical centers in the nation to receive Healthgrades America’s 50 Best Hospitals Award for five or more years in a row. Becker’s Hospital Review recognized Hackensack University Medical Center as one of the 100 Great Hospitals in America 2017. The medical center is one of the top 25 green hospitals in the country according to Practice Greenhealth, and received 23 Gold Seals of Approval™ by The Joint Commission – more than any other hospital in the country. It was the first hospital in New Jersey and second in the nation to become a Magnet® recognized hospital for nursing excellence; receiving its fifth consecutive designation in 2014. Hackensack University Medical Center has created an entire campus of award-winning care, including: the John Theurer Cancer Center; the Heart & Vascular Hospital; and the Sarkis and Siran Gabrellian Women’s and Children’s Pavilion, which houses the Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital and Donna A. Sanzari Women’s Hospital, which was designed with The Deirdre Imus Environmental Health Center and listed on the Green Guide’s list of Top 10 Green Hospitals in the U.S. Hackensack University Medical Center is the Hometown Hospital of the New York Giants and the New York Red Bulls and is Official Medical Services Provider to The Northern Trust PGA Golf Tournament. It remains committed to its community through fundraising and community events especially the Tackle Kids Cancer Campaign providing much needed research at the Children’s Cancer Institute housed at the Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital. To learn more, visit www.HackensackUMC.org.