[Pregnancy and tetralogy of Fallot with and without surgical correction]. / Embarazo y tetralogía de Fallot con y sin corrección quirúrgica.

BACKGROUND: Tetralogy of Fallot is the most common cyanotic congenital cardiac lesions. Although pregnancy in patients with corrected tetralogy of Fallot usually have a satisfactory outcome, there may have maternal cardiovascular complications. OBJECTIVE: To report our experience in monitoring and treatment of 16 pregnancies in 14 women with tetralogy of Fallot. PATIENTS AND METHOD: Prospective study performed in 16 pregnancies of 14 patients with tetralogy of Fallot, who attended the services of Cardiology and High Risk Pregnancy in the Hospital de Gineco-Obstetricia of the Centro Médico de Occidente (Mexico), from January 1997 to January 2010. Nine women had total surgical correction and five hadn't. All patients obtained complete study protocol and tests of fetal wellbeing. RESULTS: Hemoglobin and hematocrit were significantly higher in the group without surgical correction; this group also had lower oxygen saturation and right ventricular enlargement. Of the 16 pregnancies, five were resolved vaginally, the other by cesarean section. The cyanotic mothers had premature termination of pregnancy, lower birth weight and Apgar slightly deteriorated. There were no maternal or neonatal deaths, neither cardiac malformation in newborns. CONCLUSIONS: There are more risks for the binomial in patients with uncorrected tetralogy of Fallot and in those operated with significant residual lesions. A greater anatomical impact was significantly correlated with major hemoglobin and minor oxygen saturation, which are the most important risk factors for adverse fetal outcomes.

[Modification to surgical technique of cesarean hysterectomy]. / Modificación a la técnica quirúrgica de cesárea-histerectomía.

BACKGROUND: Bleeding is a significant cause of maternal mortality in the world. Obstetric hysterectomy increases maternal morbidity and mortality. OBJECTIVES: To describe a modified technique of cesarean-hysterectomy to limit bleeding during surgery in cases of placenta accreta and placenta previa, which consist of hypogastric artery ligation before the removal of the uterus. Another objective of this study is to compare maternal outcomes of patients undergoing this technique with the usual technique. PATIENTS AND METHOD: Comparative, longitudinal, closed stydy. We analyzed the records of 86 patients undergoing cesarean-hysterectomy surgery, from July 1, 2008 to July 31, 2009, were programmed 29 patients with the modified technique and 57 with the usual. The main outcomes analyzed were: estimated bleeding during surgery, number of packed red blood cells and plasma units transfused and hospital stay in intensive care. RESULTS: Bleeding during surgery, blood transfusion and admission to intensive care demand, and hospital stay were significantly lower in patients with the modified technique. Also there were fewer trans and postoperative complications in this group. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study show that the modified technique of cesarean-hysterectomy derives significant reduction of maternal morbidity, less massive transfusions demand to manage intensive care units.

[Pregnancy in patients with single ventricle, corrected and uncorrected]. / Embarazo en pacientes con ventrículo único, con y sin corrección quirúrgica.

We describe two cases of pregnancy in women with congenital heart disease, single ventricle. The first one underwent Fontan surgery at the age of 5 years due to a single ventricle of the left ventricular morphology. The second one, had uncorrected single ventricle. There were no maternal complications. Both deliveries were by cesarean section. Infants were premature, being delivered at 33 and 27 weeks, and weighing 1,250 and 625 g, respectively.

[Medically indicated preterm birth. Maternal and fetal consequences]. / Nacimiento pretérmino por indicación médica. Consecuencias maternas y fetales.

One of the principal challenges of obstetrics is to reduce the percentage of perinatal mortality. Preterm birth is considered the main cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality. Preterm birth by medical indication, is a condition rarely documented in medical literature, but it requires analysis to determine the effect in perinatal health. In a third care hospital setting, a prospective study was performed on 154 pregnant women that delivered preterm babies between 25 and 36 weeks of gestation. The Relative Risk (RR) was obtained to compare the association between the medical indication of the preterm birth, the use of fetal pulmonary maturants, type of delivery, the health status of the newborn at birth and hospital discharge. The main causes of preterm birth by medical indication were: premature rupture of membranes, preeclampsia, intrauterine growth retardation and fetal distress. Neonatal mortality was 13%. The rate of cesarean section was higher than expected. Despite the various types of delivery, there were no significant differences between mortality, length of hospital stay or hospital complications. The probability of death to preterm born was explained to gestational age and was not modified for medical decision to interrupt pregnancy.