Pregnancy after heart valve replacement--case report.
There is an increased risk of thromboembolism, anticoagulant-related haemorrhage, foetal-wastage, and congestive cardiac failure in pregnant women with mechanical heart valves. Pregnancy in such patients is a high risk venture. In order to have a good outcome, the care of such patients must necessarily be multidisciplinary and in a well-equipped centre with adequate support services. One such patient who had mechanical mitral valve replacement in 1986 and was on warfarin anticoagulant presented in April 2003 with a first trimester pregnancy. She was in stable haemodynamic state and went through pregnancy without event. Delivery was by an elective caesarian section at 38 weeks gestation. The care of this patient during pregnancy, delivery, and puerperium is the basis of this report.
Ezemba
N
N
Departments of Surgery, National Cardiothoracic Centre, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu, Nigeria. ndubuezeezemba@yahoo.com
Eze
J C
JC
Onah
H E
HE
Anisiuba
B C
BC
Aghaji
M A C
MA
Ezike
H A
HA
D000328:Adult; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001241:Aspirin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002585:Cesarean Section; D005260:Female; D006350:Heart Valve Prosthesis; D006493:Heparin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008943:Mitral Valve / Q000601:surgery*; D010102:Oxygen Inhalation Therapy; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011247:Pregnancy; D011249:Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D014859:Warfarin / Q000627:therapeutic use
D000925:Anticoagulants; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors; D014859:Warfarin; D006493:Heparin; D001241:Aspirin