Only 4 cases in the world, the first in Italy: born 36 years ago with a heart without a ventricle, she becomes the mother of twins. The exceptional event happened in Rome thanks to the determination of the young woman and the joint work of the specialists of the Bambino Gesù Pediatric Hospital – who have assisted her since she was a child due to her serious congenital heart disease – and the Gemelli University Hospital, where he was cesarean section performed. Mother and children, a boy and a girl, are doing well: “I knew I was taking a lot of risks with my heart in half, but I wanted to become a mother. The birth of the twins was an indescribable emotion.”
The birth of the twins, both weighing 1.4 kg, took place via cesarean section at the Gemelli Polyclinic at the 34th week of pregnancy, a few days ahead of the expected due date. After just ten days of hospitalization, according to the Bambino Gesù Hospital, mother and children were able to return home.
The twins’ mother was born with a heart missing the right ventricle, the portion of the heart muscle that pushes blood towards the lungs for oxygenation. It is a complex congenital heart disease that requires a series of corrective interventions within the first years of life.
In this specific case, the Bambino Gesù patient underwent a single operation at the age of 4 to build an alternative circulation system, called Fontan, which brings blood from the vena cava directly to the lungs, without passing through the Heart. This condition subjects the organism to constant overwork: the circulation supported by a single ventricle requires, in fact, close therapies and controls throughout life; in 5% of cases a transplant is achieved.
In the absence of other complications, however, according to the indications of the international protocols on the matter, it is possible to undertake the path of maternity.
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