Lucknow: In a remarkable medical feat, a 32-year-old woman underwent both a heart surgery and a cesarean section to deliver her twins.
The doctors at Medanta Hospital in the city successfully performed the two procedures.
The woman, who was pregnant with twins through in vitro fertilization (IVF), had been experiencing breathlessness. It was discovered that she had an obstruction in the right ventricular outflow.
Due to her condition, she was referred from Varanasi to Medanta Hospital in Lucknow.
"The right side of her heart, which pumps blood into the lungs, had a severe obstruction. The woman was taken to the cardiothoracic operating theatre, where the gynecology team performed the delivery first, followed by the heart surgery", said Gaurang Mazumdar, the head of the cardiothoracic vascular surgery department.
The obstruction was preventing proper blood flow to her lungs, making it a complex case that required a multi-specialty approach. The family was provided with counseling regarding the risks and procedures involved.
Akash Pandita, the head of the neonatology department, said that “Babies born were 1,200 and 1,300 grams in weight (respectively) and had breathing problems initially. However, this was solved without the use of a ventilator”.
"As the mother was not in the condition to breastfeed her twins, she was shown the two newborns via a video call. The woman has been discharged now. Her babies are healthy”, she added.
According to the doctors, patients like this woman belong to a special group where pregnancy is accompanied by symptoms of heart failure.