Journal of cardiothoracic and vascular anesthesia
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J. Cardiothorac. Vasc. Anesth. · Dec 2020
ReviewCardiac interventions in pregnancy and peripartum - a narrative review of the literature.
In the UK, mortality rate during pregnancy/in the peripartal period is 14.1 per 100,000 maternities with heart disease being the leading cause of non-obstetric maternal mortality (10% to 15% of all maternal deaths). Owing to the advances in the treatment of congenital heart disease (CHD), an increasing percentage of women has reached childbearing age, making CHD nowadays the most frequent cardiovascular disease during pregnancy in the Western world. ⋯ While all these interventions seem to be relatively safe for the mother, fetal mortality remains considerably high. A thorough understanding of maternal physiology during pregnancy and of the perfusion of the feto-maternal unit is mandatory for the successful management of pregnant patients in need of cardiac (surgical) interventions.