Perioperative management of pregnant patients with heart disease for caesarian section under anaesthesia.

One hundred pregnant patients, of age group 22 to 35 years, with different types of cardiac ailments (mitral stenosis, mitral regurgitation, mitral valve prolapse, aortic regurgitation, atrial septal defect, ventricular septal defect, coarctation of the aorta, Eisenmenger syndrome, hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy and operated tetralogy of fallot), put up for elective caesarian section underanaesthesia, were managed in the department of anaesthesiology at IPGME&R/SSKM Hospital, Kolkata from January 1996 to December 2002. The aim of the study was to observe the maternal and foetal outcome in different heart diseases. Death occurred in 2 patients (67%) with Eisenmenger syndrome, in one patient (20%) with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy and in one patient (5%) with critical mitral stenosis (mitral orifice area = 0.6 cm2) with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Neonatal mortality was observed in 4 patients [Eisenmenger syndrome--3 (100%); coarctation of the aorta--1 (33%)]. Another 8 patients developed severe heart failure (HF) [severe mitral stenosis (mitral orifice area = 1-1.2 cm2)--2 (10%); hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy--4 (80%); coarctation of the aorta--2 (66%)]. Foetal dysmaturity was observed in 20 neonates (54%) belonging to mothers of New York Heart Association (NYHA) classes III and IV. Congenital heart disease (ventricular septal defect) was detected in 3 offsprings (20%) of mothers with ventricular septal defect. The study concludes that most pregnant cardiac patients can have a satisfactory outcome with careful perioperative management.