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Pulmonary hypertension during pregnancy: management of two cases

  • Materno-Fetal Medicine
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Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this article is to describe two cases of pulmonary hypertension during pregnancy to highlight the major issues associated with the obstetric and anesthesiological management of such patients who, despite the medical advice, decided to continue their pregnancy and gave birth to healthy babies.

Methods and results

In our first case, there has been the need for a general anesthesia because of the detachment of the placenta, whereas in the second case elective surgery under spinal anesthesia was performed, thus avoiding the anesthesiological and surgical problems associated with an emergency.

Conclusions

Pregnancy is contraindicated in case of pulmonary hypertension, a highly morbid disease affecting young women of childbearing age. Therefore, in such cases, a multidisciplinary approach is indispensable to plan optimal treatment for patients who wish to pursue a pregnancy even though their heart disease exposes them to a high level of risk.

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Conflict of interest statement

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Gynecological and Human Reproduction Sciences, University of Padua, Padua, Italy

    Irene Pascoli, Maddalena Cester & Kimta Nanhornguè

  2. Department of Pharmacology and Anaesthesiology, Anaesthesia and Intensive Medicine Clinic, University of Padua, Padua, Italy

    Matteo Parotto & Massimo Micaglio

  3. Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Piemonte Orientale, Gynecological and Obstetric Clinic, Novara, Italy

    Delia Maria Paternoster, Elisa Merati, Silvia Arrigoni, Greta Garofalo & Maria Bertolino

  4. Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, University of Piemonte Orientale, Novara, Italy

    Claudio Ripa

  5. Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Amedeo Avogadro University of Eastern Piedmont, via Solaroli 17, 28100, Novara, Italy

    Delia Maria Paternoster

Authors
  1. Delia Maria Paternoster
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  2. Irene Pascoli
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  3. Matteo Parotto
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  4. Maddalena Cester
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  5. Kimta Nanhornguè
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  6. Elisa Merati
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  7. Silvia Arrigoni
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  8. Greta Garofalo
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  9. Maria Bertolino
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  10. Massimo Micaglio
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  11. Claudio Ripa
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Delia Maria Paternoster.

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Paternoster, D.M., Pascoli, I., Parotto, M. et al. Pulmonary hypertension during pregnancy: management of two cases. Arch Gynecol Obstet 281, 431–434 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-009-1202-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-009-1202-1

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