Fetal Monitoring during cardiopulmonary bypass for removal of a left atrial myxoma during pregnancy.

A 26-year-old woman was discovered to have a left atrial myxoma during the second trimester of pregnancy. Because of concern about potential complications from the cardiac tumor, it was elected to operate on this patient using cardiopulmonary bypass and careful fetal heart rate monitoring. Excision of the myxoma was carried out uneventfully and a healthy male infant was born at full term 16 weeks later. Problems associated with maternal extracorporeal circulation during pregnancy are discussed. This case illustrates the feasibility and safety of performing open-heart surgery during pregnancy, utilizing a simple external fetal monitoring technique.