American Journal of Cardiology
Volume 98, Issue 2 , Pages 262-266, 15 July 2006

Pregnancy After Biventricular Repair for Pulmonary Atresia With Ventricular Septal Defect

  • Willem Drenthen, MD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Cardiology, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author: Tel: 31-50-361-0248; fax: 31-50-361-4391.
  • ,
  • Petronella G. Pieper, MD, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Cardiology, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
  • ,
  • Nicole Zoon, MA, MSc

      Affiliations

    • Department of Cardiology, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
  • ,
  • Jolien W. Roos-Hesselink, MD, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Cardiology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
  • ,
  • Adriaan A. Voors, MD, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Cardiology, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
  • ,
  • Barbara J.M. Mulder, MD, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Cardiology, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
  • ,
  • Arie P.J. van Dijk, MD, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Cardiology, St. Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
  • ,
  • Krystyna M. Sollie, MD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
  • ,
  • Hubert W. Vliegen, MD, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Cardiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
  • ,
  • Tjark Ebels, MD, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Thoracic Surgery, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
  • ,
  • Dirk J. van Veldhuisen, MD, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Cardiology, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
  • ,
  • ZAHARA Investigators

Received 6 December 2005; received in revised form 24 January 2006; accepted 24 January 2006. published online 06 June 2006.

Information on pregnancy and delivery in women with biventricular repair for isolated noncomplex pulmonary atresia with a ventricular septal defect (PAVSD) is limited. Using a nationwide congenital heart disease registry (CONgenital CORvitia [CONCOR]), 9 women with biventricular repair for PAVSD (aged 21 to 38 years) were identified. Ten pregnancies were observed in 5 different women with PAVSD, including 3 spontaneous miscarriages. Clinically significant (non)cardiac complications were documented in 3 of 7 completed pregnancies. These complications were: (1) atrioventricular reentry tachycardia with symptomatic right-sided heart failure; (2) eclampsia with hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelets syndrome further complicated by abruptio placentae leading to premature delivery of a small-for-gestational-age child; and (3) premature delivery due to cervical insufficiency with antepartum demise of an immature child. Furthermore, none of the women reported infertility. Moreover, none of the women reported irregularities of their natural menstrual cycle (age at menarche 13 years; cycle duration 28 days), with the exception of delayed menarche (>16 years) in 2 patients. In conclusion, successful pregnancy in patients with biventricular repair of PAVSD is possible, although often complicated by serious clinically significant events. Infertility and menstrual cycle disorders do not appear to be more prevalent, except for a high incidence of primary amenorrhea.

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 Dr. Pieper was supported by Grant 2002 B125 from The Netherlands Heart Foundation, The Hague, and the Interuniversity Cardiology Institute, Utrecht, The Netherlands. Dr. D.J. van Veldhuisen was supported by Grant D97.017 from The Netherlands Heart Foundation, The Hague, The Netherlands.

PII: S0002-9149(06)00686-2

doi:10.1016/j.amjcard.2006.01.094

American Journal of Cardiology
Volume 98, Issue 2 , Pages 262-266, 15 July 2006