Cardio-Obstetrics Program
at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital
Cardiovascular disease affects up to 10 percent of pregnancies and is the leading cause of adverse maternal outcomes in the United States. Pregnancy increases the workload of the heart which may increase the mother’s risk during pregnancy.
At Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, we provide specialized care for pregnant women with cardiovascular conditions through our Cardio-Obstetrics Program. We understand the unique needs of women experiencing pregnancy and heart disease, and our expert team works to ensure the healthiest possible outcomes for both mother and baby.
About the Cardio-Obstetrics Program
Our Cardio-Obstetrics Program is one of the most advanced in the region, designed to address the complex interaction between pregnancy and heart health. Heart disease is the leading cause of maternal mortality in the United States, and our program aims to prevent and manage these complications through multidisciplinary collaboration.
Our team of obstetricians, cardiologists, advanced imaging, surgeons, and other health care professionals work together to develop individualized treatment plans that prioritize both the health of the mother and the safety of the baby.
Who Can Benefit From This Program?
The Cardio-Obstetrics Program is designed for women who:
- Have a pre-existing heart condition or those with risk factors for cardiovascular disease
- Are experiencing heart problems during pregnancy
- Have a high-risk pregnancy with concerns related to cardiovascular health
- Are planning pregnancy and need specialized advice for heart health
- Have a history of adverse pregnancy outcomes such as hypertension, preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, peripartum cardiomyopathy, stroke
If you're expecting or planning to become pregnant and have a history of heart disease, we’re here to provide expert care every step of the way.
Services We Offer
The comprehensive services of the Cardio-Obstetrics program include:
- Prepregnancy counseling
- Cardiac care during pregnancy
- Postpartum heart care
Pre-Pregnancy Counseling and Optimization
We offer counseling to women who are concerned about their heart health and want to become pregnant. Before your pregnancy, a team of maternal-fetal medicine and cardiac specialists will help you understand your risk and prepare you for becoming pregnant.
Our cardiac preconception and optimization evaluation screens for conditions such as high blood pressure, lipid disorders, coronary artery disease, congenital heart conditions. Evaluations may include:
- A transthoracic echocardiogram
- Stress testing
- Advanced cardiac computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans
Our goal is to prevent and proactively manage cardiovascular problems before you become pregnant.
We create care plans that may include lifestyle modifications such as stress reduction, exercise, and eating a heart-healthy diet.
Medications that are safe to use before and during pregnancy may also be part of your treatment plan.
Cardiac Care During Pregnancy
During pregnancy, our team of cardiac-obstetrics and maternal fetal medicine specialists are specialty trained to manage a full range of cardiac conditions including:
- Cardiomyopathy and heart failure
- Congenital heart defects
- Connective tissue disorders such as Marfan Syndrome, Loetz Dietz, Ehlers Danlos syndrome
- Heart valve conditions
- Heart rhythm disorders
- Hypertensive disorders
- Lipid disorders
Postpartum Cardiovascular Care
If you have a pregnancy complicated by high blood pressure, preeclampsia, diabetes, stroke, heart attack, preterm labor, you are at risk of developing heart disease.
To ensure a smooth transition from obstetric care to long-term preventive care, our postpartum Cardio-Obstetrics and Women’s Heart Program provides:
- Screening for early heart disease
- Risk factor control
- Lifestyle counseling to create a personalized wellness plan for women at high risk after giving birth
Meet Our Director
Yanting Wang, MD, FACC, FASE
Director, Women’s Heart Program
Director, Cardio-Obstetrics Program
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital
