Patient's question:
My cousin has congenital heart disease, and her health condition is generally well-maintained. She usually doesn't have major issues. Now that she's married, she's living a particularly happy life. However, recently she wants a little baby, but none of our family members support her having a child, fearing it might affect her health. But no matter how we try to explain, she won't listen, and it's driving us crazy.Doctor's answer:
Hello, in this case, it is recommended to actively undergo atrial septal defect repair surgery and consider pregnancy after the surgery has fully healed. For patients with atrial septal defect, if the defect is small and does not affect heart function, pregnancy can be considered. However, your atrial septal defect is relatively large, and there are obvious signs of right atrial and right ventricular enlargement, as well as pulmonary hypertension. In this situation, it is best to first treat the congenital heart disease before considering pregnancy to avoid the risk of increased cardiac load during pregnancy leading to heart failure.