[Heart valve surgery during pregnancy. Experience with eight cases].

PURPOSE

To analyze the results of the valve cardiac surgery in pregnant women and cardiopulmonary bypass consequences to the patients and their fetuses.

METHODS

Study of 8 pregnant women who underwent cardiac surgery between January of 1986 and December of 1996. Patients' average age was 31.4 +/- 8.9 years and the gestation age ranged from 12 to 31 (average of 26.6 +/- 7.1) weeks. Fetus monitorization was performed in all patients. The temperature was always higher than 34 degrees C, as well as high flow rates during the cardiopulmonary bypass. Four surgeries of aortic valve and four of mitral valve were performed, in which two were reoperations.

RESULTS

There was no mortality. There were two premature births and in one child there was neurological damage. The other children did not have growth problems.

CONCLUSION

Valve cardiac surgery in pregnant women may have good results as long as care in the cardiopulmonary bypass and fetus monitorization are undertaken.