Stenosis and Pregnancy
Pregnancy is a very taxing event on a woman’s body and the heart is no exception to this rule. As a side effect of pregnancy, stenosis or regurgitation (blood flowing backwards through a valve) usually affect the mitral or aortic valves.
The mitral valve lies between the left atrium and left ventricle. The aortic valve is the valve between the left ventricle and ascending aorta. For some reason a pregnant woman becomes more susceptible to stenosis or insufficiency of these valves.The left side of the heart is the half that pumps oxygenated blood to the rest of the body. The atrium collects the oxygenated blood from the lungs. From here it flows into the ventricle and then gets pumped from the ventricle into the aorta and then to the rest of the body. Usually, mild mitral or aortic regurgitation is well tolerated though stenosis is less well tolerated. Stenosis can actually lead to maternal or fetal complications.
Stenosis and Pregnancy
Mitral stenosis is especially dangerous for a few reasons. The increased heart rate, total blood volume, and cardiac output (how much blood is pumped per contraction of the heart) exacerbate the loss of valve flexibility as seen in stenosis causing increased pulmonary capillary pressure leading to pulmonaray edema.
If mitral stenosis or aortic regurgitation are discovered during pregnancy, observation and monitoring is very important. Mitral valve stenosis can become rapidly more severe to the point where open heart surgery is warranted. If aortic stenosis is present, then care must be taken when anaesthetics are administered during delivery.
Usually these conditions are present before conception and should already be treated. If you are aware that you have mitral or aortic valve stenosis, ensure you discuss pregnancy with your physician and tell the attending physician immediately.