Premier Ultrasound Webinar
Prenatal Diagnosis Placenta Accreta Spectrum:
Evolution of Imaging Findings Throughout Gestation
Presented by Scott A. Shainker, DO, MS
Free sonographer CME opportunity!
Date: August 12, 2026
Time: 7:30pm EST
Credit: 1 OB SDMS
This webinar is presented in partnership with Sona, a platform that enables ultrasound offices to send selected ultrasound images and clips directly from the machine to patients phones.
Learning Objectives:
1. Describe the pathophysiology of Placenta Accreta Spectrum (PAS) and the SMFM/ACOG/AIUM guidelines, providing the clinical context for the sonographic findings discussed.
2. Recognize how sonographic markers of PAS — including placental lacunae, loss of the retroplacental clear space, myometrial thinning, and hypervascularity of the uterovesical space — evolve in appearance and diagnostic significance from the first trimester through the third trimester.
3. Perform a systematic, gestational-age-specific scanning protocol for suspected PAS, including appropriate use of transabdominal and transvaginal approaches, grayscale imaging, and color/power Doppler technique.
4. Identify imaging pitfalls and technical factors (e.g., bladder filling, probe positioning, maternal body habitus) that can affect the visibility and interpretation of PAS markers, and apply strategies to optimize image quality.
5. Apply standardized terminology and reporting conventions — consistent with SMFM/ACOG/AIUM consensus definitions — for documenting PAS ultrasound findings to ensure clear, consistent communication with the referring physician team.
Scott A. Shainker, DO, MS is a Maternal-Fetal Medicine specialist in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) in Boston, USA. He is an Associate Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology at Harvard Medical School.
In 2018 he became the first incumbent of the Annie and Chase Koch Chair in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at BIDMC, an honor he continues to hold. Dr. Shainker completed his residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Boston Medical Center/Boston University School of Medicine and his fellowship in Maternal-Fetal Medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center/Harvard Medical School.
Dr. Shainker is the co-founder and director of the New England Center for Placental Disorders, an international referral center for patients with placenta accreta spectrum and other complex placental disorders. In addition, Dr. Shainker serves as a maternal-fetal medicine specialist at Boston Children’s Hospital working on the fetal intervention team.