Application of cook balloon during aorta replacement in a pregnant Marfan-syndrome patient: a case report

BACKGROUND: Aortic dissection is a rare and emergent condition. Aortic dissection during pregnancy is not much known but it is quite lethal to both mother and infant. Earlier reports published show that clinicians conducted hysterectomies during cesarean section to avoid anticoagulant-induced uterine bleeding during the following aortic surgery. CASE PRESENTATION: A woman (38, gravida 1, para 0) in the 37th gestational week suffered an acute, severe, sharp pain in the chest and back. She was diagnosed with Standford type A aortic dissection and suspected with Marfan syndrome. An emergency cesarean section was performed immediately to deliver the baby. Since the patient was on anticoagulants during aortic replacement, so Cook balloon was inserted into the uterus to prevent postpartum hemorrhage. This helped to maintain the uterus intact. Family genetic testing showed that the patient was a carrier of FBN1 mutation which was inherited from the patient’s mother, and the newborn also carried the mutation. Hence the patient was concluded to be positive for Marfan syndrome. CONCLUSION: It is important that clinicians should pay attention to the possibility of aortic dissection in a pregnant woman with chest, abdominal or back pain. In this case study, we employed Cook balloon during cesarean section to avoid anticoagulant-induced uterine bleeding during the following aortic surgery.