As a follow-up to our recent discussion about heart valve surgery, pregnancy and child birth ^[1], I found this story in RIA Novosti, a Russian magazine, to be quite amazing…

An unidentified Russian woman unexpectedly went into labor just before heart surgery in the city of Penza, and gave birth to a healthy girl, the clinic’s chief doctor said on Tuesday.

The 36-year-old woman from the nearby Russia republic of Mordovia “was admitted to the clinic for an urgent operation to replace a mechanical heart valve ^[2], which the patient had been living with for several years,” Dr. Vladlen Bazylev told RIA Novosti.

Surgeons were preparing to carry out the operation, when the woman went into labor, two-and-a-half months before the baby was due. The doctors decided to carry out a Cesarean section, right before they replaced the valve ^[3].

After more than six hours on the operating table, the woman’s condition is satisfactory. Dr. Bazylev said the baby girl is being closely monitored, but is not in any danger.

Keep on tickin’!