Special expertise
Prenatal Diagnosis + Early Pregnancy Scanning + Pregnancy Complications + Congenital Heart Defect Detection + Obstetric & Gynaecologic Ultrasound + Transvaginal Ultrasound + Prenatal Detection of Down Syndrome and Vasa Previa + 3D and 4D Ultrasound + NIPT
Profile
Ciara McKenna is an Advanced Practitioner in Obstetric and Gynaecologic Ultrasound at The Medical Chambers Kensington, with a particular interest in early pregnancy scanning and pregnancy complications and congenital heart defects.
Ciara has reported on obstetric, gynaecological and abdominal examinations at four NHS hospitals, including Queen Charlotte's & Chelsea Hospital where she was Head of the Obstetric and Gynaecologic Ultrasound departments.
Whilst at Queen Charlotte's & Chelsea Hospital she was actively involved in increasing the prenatal detection of congenital heart defects from less than 50% to 80%. She also participated in a multicentre trial using transvaginal ultrasound in post-menopausal women led by Mr Nick Panay FRCOG (UK) and Dr Anna Parsons (USA).
Ciara has taught extensively and presented numerous papers to international ultrasound societies related to cardiac defects, cleft lip/palate, prenatal detection of Down syndrome and vasa previa (a condition where the blood vessels from the placenta or umbilical cord block the birth canal and rupture as the waters break).
Ciara currently trains sonographers at St Thomas' Hospital in London. Previously she has trained sonographers, consultants and obstetricians at Queen Charlotte's & Chelsea Hospital, London and at the Fetal and Women's Center, Scottsdale Arizona; and has taught at the annual Fetal Cardiac Course organised by Dr Helena Gardiner at the Royal Brompton Hospital, London, for obstetricians, cardiologists, radiologists and sonographers.
Ciara's most recent scientific presentation was in the application of 3D ultrasound in the detection of absent nasal bones in fetuses with Down syndrome at the International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynaecology.