Aortic and valvular heart diseases, cardiomyopathies and heart failure in pregnancy : Risk assessment and management

Abstract

Women with known cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and adesire to have children should receive a timely comprehensive counselling before becoming pregnant. This is critical as the foundation for an informed decision-making process of the mother and her family. Furthermore, adetailed interdisciplinary management plan should be developed and discussed with the patient. The modified World Health Organization (mWHO) classification should be applied for maternal cardiovascular risk stratification. Although the prevalence of aortic pathologies is infrequent, they are often life-threatening conditions. Following the recent advances in terms of surgical management and anticoagulation, the adequate management of valvular heart disease is particularly challenging. Cardiomyopathies during pregnancy are associated with high maternal mortality and severe cardiovascular complications, such as progressive heart failure and thromboembolic events; however, novel treatment options have recently become available.