Pregnancy Outcomes in Women After the Arterial Switch Operation

Pregnancy outcomes after the arterial switch operation (ASO) are rare. We sought to determine outcomes of ASO survivors who underwent pregnancy.

Female patients who had an ASO and underwent pregnancy were identified from the congenital heart disease pregnancy clinic at The Royal Melbourne Hospital. All follow-up data were collected retrospectively by medical record review.

Eleven (11) women were identified as having undergone medical care during pregnancy, from the adult congenital database, at The Royal Melbourne Hospital. There were 17 successful pregnancies, and nine women have been followed post pregnancy. Of the 17 successful deliveries, eight were delivered by Caesarean section, seven were vaginal deliveries and two were instrumented vaginal deliveries. Of the eight Caesarean sections, five were emergency and three were elective. The indications for emergency Caesarean section were obstructed labour (n = 2), abnormal cardiotocography (n = 1), obstructed labour and abnormal cardiotocography (n = 1) and congestive cardiac failure (n = 1). There was one neonatal complication (respiratory distress requiring intubation) in a child born at 31 weeks. There were maternal obstetric complications in 10 patients. There were two maternal cardiac complications during pregnancy (heart failure and rapid atrial fibrillation/flutter). There was no change in left ventricular function post-pregnancy. There was progression of severity of neo-aortic valve regurgitation in two patients post pregnancy (trivial to mild and moderate-severe to severe respectively).

Pregnancy post ASO appears to be safe in the majority of women. Maternal cardiac complications are uncommon in patients without residual significant haemodynamic lesions, although maternal obstetric complications may be common.