Rare surgery saves pregnant woman

T'puram: A 27-week pregnant woman, who was in a critical condition due to a narrowed heart valve obstructing blood flow, regained health through a rare heart surgery. The 19-year-old woman from Thiruvananthapuram and her unborn child were treated successfully with a balloon mitral valvotomy procedure at the SAT Hospital.
The woman was suffering from a severe condition known as pulmonary edema due to the valve narrowing. Her heart valve was only 0.5 sq cm in size, compared to the normal size of four to six sq cm. She sought treatment at SAT Hospital, where her condition was stabilized through emergency care, and the narrowed valve was expanded using balloon mitral valvotomy, restoring normal function.
This procedure, performed with radiation protection measures to avoid harm to the mother and child during pregnancy, is extremely rare.
The health of the mother and baby was managed under the supervision of gynecology professor Dr Sudha Menon, with the cardiac surgery led by Dr Vinu and supported by anesthesiology head Dr Shobha, Dr Jafi and Neonatologists Dr Anand and Dr Divya Mathew.