Shina Biblow always knew she would have to have open heart surgery one day, she just never thought it would be when she was four months pregnant with her second child.

含羞草研究社淗e含羞草研究社檚 here and he含羞草研究社檚 healthy and growing. It含羞草研究社檚 a miracle,含羞草研究社� said Biblow of the family含羞草研究社檚 latest addition, a healthy baby boy named Merritt, born Jan. 26.

Unlike her first textbook pregnancy a few years before with their son Morris, Shina developed health problems almost immediately that would require complex, high-risk heart surgery at St. Paul含羞草研究社檚 Hospital when she was just 15 weeks pregnant.

含羞草研究社淭here was a 40 per cent risk of losing the baby. It was very hard 含羞草研究社� (but if ) there含羞草研究社檚 no me, then there含羞草研究社檚 no baby so we had to do what we had to do.含羞草研究社�

In a sense, Biblow含羞草研究社檚 story began 32 years ago. She was born with a narrowing of her aortic valve, the main blood vessel leaving the heart. She required surgery for this as an infant.

The condition meant that when she turned 18, she became part of the Pacific Adult Congenital Heart Clinic (PACH) at St. Paul含羞草研究社檚 Hospital, a multidisciplinary team that follows adults born with heart disease.

Feeling unwell from the pregnancy含羞草研究社檚 start

Apart from being unable to do certain intense sports, Biblow led a normal life, including an uneventful first pregnancy and birth of their oldest son, Morris.

This second pregnancy was different.

From the get-go, she felt unwell. 含羞草研究社淚 was nauseous and tired, my heart was racing and I got what I call hot flashes,含羞草研究社� she says. 含羞草研究社淚 just assumed they were caused by a surge of pregnancy hormones.含羞草研究社�

She received care at Cariboo Memorial Hospital含羞草研究社檚 emergency department.

含羞草研究社淭hat含羞草研究社檚 when they discovered I was going into heart failure.含羞草研究社�

Doctors sent an urgent referral to the highly specialized Cardiac Obstetrics Clinic (COB) at St. Paul含羞草研究社檚 Hospital. She received tests that revealed episodes of sudden extremely rapid heart rhythms.

Calf cramps followed 含羞草研究社� also a pregnancy symptom, she figured. When she developed itchy red spots on her body, she became alarmed.

含羞草研究社淭hings just kept getting worse,含羞草研究社� Shina said.

Breathing was so hard she could not even care for her toddler. When she called a PACH Clinic nurse, she exploded into fits of coughing.

Dr. Marla Kiess, St. Paul含羞草研究社檚 cardiologist and COB founder, followed Biblow by Zoom to monitor the heart palpitations, shortness of breath and other symptoms.

A soaring heart rate

As they persisted, Dr. Kiess directed the local hospital to airlift her for more advanced care to Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops on August 12. There, her heart rate soared to 190 beats/minute. A normal rate is 60 to 100.

Tests found growths on her aortic valve, suggesting a bacterial infection: serious in any patient, more so in a pregnant woman.

含羞草研究社淭he infection in the valve was totally unexpected and unpredictable,含羞草研究社� recalls Dr. Kiess.

She and her team arranged for Biblow含羞草研究社檚 transfer to St. Paul含羞草研究社檚, the only centre in British Columbia for complex cardiac-obstetrics cases like this.

Surgery poses big risk to fetus

Shortly after arriving on August 15, St. Paul含羞草研究社檚 cardiovascular surgeon Dr. Jamil Bashir told Biblow she含羞草研究社檇 need open-heart surgery to replace the infected aortic valve.

含羞草研究社淚t was scary,含羞草研究社� says Biblow. 含羞草研究社淏ut it needed to be done if we wanted to keep the baby and save my life.含羞草研究社�

Risks were high. 含羞草研究社淭hat point in gestation is a critical time in the baby含羞草研究社檚 evolution because many organs are developing,含羞草研究社� says Dr. Kiess.

A complex case requires a large care team

In surgery, Biblow would be supported by a heart-lung bypass machine, which would reduce blood flow to the fetus and risk organ malformation. Alarmingly, it would bring a 40 per cent risk of the baby dying, says Dr. Kiess.

Because of the case含羞草研究社檚 complexity, her care team began a huge amount of planning to anticipate potential responses to problems in both mom and baby. It included nurses and doctors from cardiology, anesthesia, surgery, infectious diseases, the ICU, and obstetrics. Zoom proved invaluable.

Her husband Tyson, a millwright at Gibraltar Mine, rushed to Vancouver to be with his wife, narrowly getting over the Coquihalla pass before it was closed due to last summer含羞草研究社檚 wildfires.

Delicate balance around medication

On August 18, Dr. Bashir and his team successfully implanted a mechanical aortic valve to replace the severely infected one. The good news was, a mechanical valve (unlike a cadaver valve) would never have to be replaced. The bad news was, it increased Biblow含羞草研究社檚 risk of clotting. She would need blood thinners for the rest of her life.

Those drugs brought risks to the fetus, so Dr. Anna Rahmani and Dr. Tony Wan from the St. Paul含羞草研究社檚 Thrombosis clinic were also part of her care.

St. Paul含羞草研究社檚 teams then followed her post-surgery to monitor her with the new valve and pregnancy.

The birth approaches

As the delivery date approached, her team wanted her in Vancouver near the hospital several weeks before, to tend to her cardiac and obstetrical needs. Registered nurse Karen Sandhu, complex care coordinator for maternity, and Amy Graham, COB RN, oversaw the many logistics around that chapter, as did PACH/COB social worker Kassandra Maxwell.

含羞草研究社淚 coordinated with her St. Paul含羞草研究社檚 obstetrician, Dr. Nancy Matinko and the virtual visits Shina would have with her,含羞草研究社� says Sandhu.

More planning ensued, especially around her anticoagulants. They had to stop in advance because of the risk of a severe bleed giving birth. Yet she couldn含羞草研究社檛 be off them for more than 24 hours because of clotting risks.

Amid it all, Merritt arrived on January 24 at 38 weeks含羞草研究社� gestation, weighing six pounds, four ounces. 含羞草研究社淲ith all the meds I was on, they were expecting a smaller baby,含羞草研究社� Biblow says proudly. He is healthy and well.

The family is now home on their ranch, enjoying life at Miocene.

Shina has regular virtual visits with St. Paul含羞草研究社檚 teams, including COB and the Thrombosis Clinic.

She and her husband Tyson are grateful to St. Paul含羞草研究社檚 expansive team of doctors, nurses, social workers and many others who helped her and her baby survive risky cardiac surgery and see her through delivery and post-partum care.

含羞草研究社淓ven though everything happening was very scary and we didn含羞草研究社檛 know what the outcome was going to be, our faith and prayers from our family and friends, and the care from the team at St. Paul含羞草研究社檚 is what got us through the experience.含羞草研究社�

With files from Providence Health Care

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