Advanced Pregnancies With Valvular Heart Disease Requiring Peripartum Cardiac Intervention: Two Case Reports and Literature Review

Cardiac interventions during advanced gestation carry a risk of maternal complications including mortality, along with the serious threat to the life of a viable fetus. However, with advancements in anesthesia and surgery techniques, cardiac interventions can be performed successfully during the peripartum period. We report two cases of decompensated severe valvular stenosis in the third trimester. One patient underwent balloon valvuloplasty followed by cesarean delivery. However, the other underwent a cesarean delivery followed by double valve replacement. Favorable maternal and fetal outcomes were achieved through peripartum interventions. Good fetomaternal outcomes can be obtained in women with severe valvular heart disease (VHD) presenting late in pregnancy. The decision for the timing of cardiac intervention in relation to cesarean section (CS) can vary from case-to-case basis.