[Simultaneous cesarean section and mitral valve replacement for infective endocarditis during pregnancy--a case...

Infective endocarditis (IE) during pregnancy is uncommon. A 31-week-pregnant, 21-year-old woman suffered from severe mitral regurgitation caused by IE. She fell into heart failure and threatened abortion. Following to cesarean section, an emergent mitral valve replacement with a bioprosthetic valve was successfully performed. Her postoperative recovery was uneventful and she was discharged home 30 days after the operation. Her baby, however, died of intracranial hemorrhage caused by hypoxia 171 days after delivery. A strategy of simultaneous open heart surgery and cesarean section is recommended when emergent open heart surgery is inevitable for the treatment of cardiac diseases in cases with 24 and/or more weeks' gestation.