Anticoagulation During Pregnancy with a Mechanical Pulmonary Valve: Patient and Medical Perspective.
Lauren LedinghamAmanda ThiessMay Ling MahPublished in: Cardiology and therapy (2022)
This article discusses the challenges of supporting a successful pregnancy in a woman with multiple prosthetic heart valves and a complicated cardiac history, from both the patient and provider perspective. The patient is a 29-year-old female with truncus arteriosus type I with initial neonatal VSD closure and right ventricular to pulmonary artery conduit. At the age of 13, she subsequently required truncal and pulmonary valve replacements with mechanical prostheses. Standardizing an approach to anticoagulation in pregnancy in women with prosthetic heart valves is not always possible. Her story demonstrates the importance of an innovative approach to unique cases; by extrapolating what is known about pregnancy and prosthetic heart valves, cardiologists can provide the best outcomes. Simultaneously, non-directive counseling is essential throughout this period to engage the patient in shared decision-making when balancing risks and benefits of each approach to anticoagulation.
Keyphrases
- aortic valve
- atrial fibrillation
- case report
- pulmonary artery
- pulmonary hypertension
- heart failure
- coronary artery
- healthcare
- mitral valve
- preterm birth
- aortic valve replacement
- pregnancy outcomes
- left ventricular
- aortic stenosis
- transcatheter aortic valve replacement
- type diabetes
- transcatheter aortic valve implantation
- metabolic syndrome
- adipose tissue
- skeletal muscle
- pregnant women
- climate change
- ejection fraction
- smoking cessation
- glycemic control