title: Pregnancy in patients with prosthetic cardiac valve. A 10-year experience.
abstract: Pregnancy after valve replacement has been considered hazardous because of maternal and fetal complications secondary to anticoagulant medication, in addition to basic myocardial problems. Of 229 females aged 15-45 years with prosthetic valve replacement, 37 (including 34 with Björk-Shiley valve and anticoagulants) subsequently had a total of 47 pregnancies. Fullterm delivery of a normal infant was achieved in 40 cases. There were three premature births, two spontaneous abortions, one stillbirth and one ectopic pregnancy. The fetal mortality was 8.5%. Valve thrombosis developed in two cases, but surgical treatment was successful. Oral anticoagulants (acenocoumarin and dipyridamole) were continued throughout pregnancy. Heparin was substituted before labour began, but discontinued after delivery, when effective oral anticoagulation was resumed. Our experience showed that pregnancy in women with mechanical heart valve prosthesis and continued oral intake of anticoagulants is safe and successful in most cases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pavankumar
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Venugopal
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Kaul
authors.forename: K S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Iyer
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Das
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sampathkumar
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Airon
authors.forename: I M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Rao
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Bhatia
mesh_terms: D000074:Acenocoumarol / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001021:Aortic Valve; D005260:Female; D005313:Fetal Death / Q000453:epidemiology; D006349:Heart Valve Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D006350:Heart Valve Prosthesis; D006801:Humans; D008943:Mitral Valve; D011247:Pregnancy; D011249:Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control
chemical_list: D000074:Acenocoumarol