Heart Surgery, Pregnancy, Labor And Baby Delivery… Can You Help Shannon?
I recently received a very interesting email from Shannon about heart surgery, pregnancy, labor and baby delivery. In her note to me, Shannon asks for help from other patients about delivering a baby after heart valve surgery. Can you help her?
Shannon writes, “Hi Adam! I am a 26-year old female. I will be having aortic valve repair (due to a bicuspid aortic valve) and aorta replacement (due to an aortic aneurysm) in the next 5-6 weeks. I am fine with having the surgery and scars. However, my husband and I would like to have kids within the next few years. The doctors have said I will be able to carry kids, but are worried about the actual delivery and the various heart conditions they may be born with. I was wondering if you have heard from any women that have been in a similar situation before and may be able to share their experiences with me and my husband. Much love, Shannon”
I have some thoughts about delivering a baby after heart valve surgery. (In particular, I would think a Caesarean section might reduce the strain and protect the valves during labor and delivery.) However, I have not researched this topic extensively.
That said, I am very curious to know what the regular visitors to this blog think. Can you help Shannon? If so, please click here to share your thoughts about heart valve surgery, pregnancy, labor and delivery.
In advance, thanks so much for helping Shannon!!!
Keep on tickin!
About The Author: Adam Pick is a double, heart valve surgery patient and author of The Patient’s Guide To Heart Valve Surgery. This unique book integrates the clinical facts of heart valve surgery with the personal experiences of 78 former valve surgery patients to help patients and caregivers better understand the opportunities and challenges of heart valve surgery. To learn more about Adam and his heart valve surgery book, click here.
- Previous: Off-Topic: A Mayonnaise Jar & Two Beers
- Next: After Valve Surgery, Infection And Coma, Steve Hits 175 Miles Per Hour… Once Again!
Email Friend
Leave Comment
Print
Subscribe
April 23rd, 2009 at 2:46 pm
I am 34 years old. I had valve replacement approximately 7 months ago. I have been advised, as I was before surgery, to not have any more children. Apparently when you are pregnant the volume of blood in your body increases dramatically. I had an echo when I was 32 weeks pregnant with my second child. I went from mild to moderate regurg. I had the surgery about 3 years after this. I would suggest this women definately have a cesarean section to deliver and ask some serious questions about what being pregnant will do to her valves. If she chooses the mechanical valve I do not believe she could become pregnant due to the coumadin. If she chooses a non mechanical valve, chances are she will need to have replacement surgery again sometime in her life. I guess the question would be if she wants to take a few years of the life of her valve, as you now know a child is probably worth it!! By the time she would need another replacement it could very well be a minimally invasive procedure.
April 23rd, 2009 at 2:46 pm
Hello Shannon,
I was 13 when I had my aortic replaced and I’m currently on blood thinners. I was 23 when I gave birth to my healthy daughter who is now 17yrs. I had to change my meds to hyprine and take shots in my stomach for the 9 months but everything else went just like normal. No C-section here because it has a higher risk of infection.
I hope this helps and good luck.
Margaret
April 23rd, 2009 at 3:46 pm
Hello Shannon,
I am 35 yrs. old and had my aortic valve replaced on November 10, 2008 w/bovine tissue and also ended up with a pacemaker. I had annual EKGs since I was 13 and when I was engaged at the age of 28, my doctor told me that I should consider adopting and that I should not get pregnant due to my narrowed valve and regurg. Just has my husband and I were starting the adoption process, my annual indicated It was time for the surgery. My cardiologist and surgeon have both indicated I should be able to get pregnant and have a healthy pregnancy with my new valve and also my pacemaker. I go in for the 6 month follow up and pacemaker check in June and will talk to my doctor more about it at that time. I am giving my body at least a year to recover before we do anything, pregnancy or adoption.
April 23rd, 2009 at 4:22 pm
Thank you so much ladies!!!! It really makes a difference to hear that other women have been in this same situation.
The surgeon is optimistic about repairing my valve (so no blood thinners), however, if it needs to be replaced it will be done with a tissue valve.
Future surgery is already a definite, due to my age and the life expectancy of the valves.
Thank you once again for shedding some light on this for me. It is very much appreciated!
April 23rd, 2009 at 4:41 pm
I think at this time pregnancy in women with congenital heart disease, repaired or not, is much more common. The risk to mother or fetus may be higher than for someone without heart disease, but it is certainly manageable with mostly good outcomes - for those with congenital bicuspid aortic valves and thoracic aorta aneurysms, repaired. It seems very important to be managed by a team including perinatologist (high risk pregnancy doctor) and cardiologist. C section is not necessarily the way to go - there are many fluid shifts and blood loss risks involved in
c sections. Listen to your doctors, make sure they are experienced, and that you deliver in a facility that can handle any issues that may arise.
Please accept this disclaimer that this is not meant as medical advice.
Good luck, best wishes.
April 24th, 2009 at 4:18 am
Hi, I have been living with mitral valve prolapse since i was 8, and i’m 33 this year. Despite having it and was advised to be cautious of pregnancy, i was pregnant and delivered a healthy baby boy when i was 29 through normal delivery with the help of epidural to minimise the presusure to the heart.
I agree with Terry that “The risk to mother or fetus may be higher than for someone without heart disease, but it is certainly manageable with mostly good outcomes”.
I was told by my doctor that i need to schedule for a valve replacement next year, and could not pregnant after that.Hence. i’m working (hard) this year on another baby (as advised by doctor) and hopefully it will be smooth running for me.
June 2nd, 2009 at 1:09 pm
I’m a 31 year old mitral valve replacement patient. I have two healthy boys. I was told that it was risky, but doable to have a baby. I had to take shots during the majority of my pregnancies. I was in and out of the hospital with irregular blood thinner levels. I had to see a high risk doctor every 2 weeks the entire pregnancy with frequent ultrasounds.
The second baby tore my cervix a little and I ended up not clotting very well and needing a couple of units of blood. If I could go back and change anything, it would be to have my second baby induced. My labor came on so quickly that I couldn’t have an epidural. OUCH!! The doctor told me AFTER my second baby that it would be catastrophic for me to get pregnant again…We’re not planning on any more children, but the two I have were definitely worth it all.