HELLP Syndrome: What Is This? - Dr. Lam

By Dr. Garrett K. Lam Expert

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Dr. Garrett Lam, a physician at Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center in Phoenix, Arizona, discusses HELLP syndrome. HELLP syndrome is a life-threatening obstetric complication.

Dr. Lam:
Preeclampsia overall is still, relatively speaking, a black box in medicine. We don’t know what causes it; we don’t know how to… because we don’t know what causes it we don’t know how to adequately treat it except for delivery and it has actually almost become a generalized term through which we put different types of disease that fit the general criteria of blood pressure and loss of protein within the box of preeclampsia.

HELLP syndrome or HELLP is considered right now a variant of severe preeclampsia, and HELLP syndrome stands for the different facets that we see in patients who have this type of disease. They have what’s called hemolysis or breakup of red blood cells, elevated liver function tests, so the liver enzymes are elevated in the blood and they have low platelets. Platelets are the aspects in the blood that help with clotting. When a patient presents with those three facets within the disease of preeclampsia that’s considered HELLP syndrome.

About Dr. Garrett K. Lam, M.D.:
Dr. Garrett K. Lam is board certified in both Obstetrics and Gynecology and Maternal Fetal Medicine. He received his MD from the University of Rochester, completed his residency training at Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center, then went to the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill for his fellowship in Maternal Fetal Medicine.

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Keywords:
Condition: Pregnancy, High-Risk Pregnancy, Preeclampsia

Related Terms: Cesarean Section, C-Section, Vaginal Birth, Elective C-Section, Emergency C-Section, Labor, HELLP Syndrome, Intrauterine Growth Restriction, Pregnancy-Induced Hypertension

Health Care Provider: Banner Hospital, Banner Medical Center, Banner Health, Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center, Banner Good Samaritan Hospital, Banner Good Sam

Location: Phoenix, Arizona, AZ, 85006, Tempe, Scottsdale, Mesa, Maricopa County, Phoenix Metropolitan Area

Expert: Dr. Garrett K. Lam, Garrett Lam, M.D., Doctor Garrett Lam, Obstetrician Dr. Garrett Lam, Dr. Garrett Lam, OB/GYN

Expertise: High-Risk Pregnancy, Cesarean Section, C-Section, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Maternal Fetal Medicine, Perinatal Care, Birthing Services, Fetal Assessment, Fetal Therapy, Fetal Intervention, Premature Babies