title: Influence of valve surgery on female fertility.
abstract: Pregnancies following cardiac valve surgery represent a considerable maternal and fetal risk. The present paper is a report of 163 women in child-bearing age who underwent cardiac valve surgery. Congenital (14.7%) and acquired (85.3%) cardiac defects required a total of 72 alloplastic and 16 bioprosthetic valve implantations. In 69 patients, purely instrumental correction was performed, in 6 patients conduits were placed. Thirty-four pregnancies were observed and led to the delivery of 18 healthy infants. The birth weight was always in the 2-sigma normal range or slightly above. Three cesarean sections were performed due to the cardiac defect, in 6 patients vacuum extraction or forceps delivery was done, and in 9 patients delivery was spontaneous. We observed 4 cases of spontaneous abortion, and in 12 cases interruption of pregnancy. 75.1% women never became pregnant. Potential risks in terms of endocarditis, repeated valve implantation and anticoagulation are emphasized, methods to decrease the physical strain during delivery are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Hanusch Hospital, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rosen
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Klein
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Rosen
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Laczkovics
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rokitansky
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Beck
mesh_terms: D001705:Bioprosthesis; D036861:Delivery, Obstetric; D004697:Endocarditis, Bacterial / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000601:surgery*; D006349:Heart Valve Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D006350:Heart Valve Prosthesis; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D011247:Pregnancy; D011249:Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors