COIMBATORE: Coimbatore Medical College Hospital dean Dr M Geethanjali and other speakers at a continuing medical education (CME) programme on Saturday stressed the need for timely cardiac evaluation of pregnant women, particularly when symptoms or risk factors suggest underlying heart disease.The department of cardiology at the CMCH conducted the CME programme, focusing on cardiovascular health with special emphasis on heart disease during pregnancy, early diagnosis and appropriate management. The session, held ahead of World Heart Day (Sept 29), mainly discussed heart disease during pregnancy, early detection and comprehensive care. The programme highlighted how pregnancy could place physiological stress on the cardiovascular system and bring previously undiagnosed congenital or acquired heart conditions to clinical attention.Dr Nambirajan Jeyapalan, head of the department of cardiology said, “Heart related issues especially during the last trimester and first five months of postpartum often overlap with common symptoms of pregnancy like swelling in legs. This is called peripartum cardiomyopathy, a condition developed among postpartum women is a neglected topic. With constant efforts we have been registering women with the condition in the TN pregnant women registry.”Cardiologists highlighted the large number of pregnant women being evaluated in the hospital. Around 50 pregnant women undergo echocardiographic evaluation at the cardiology OPD every day, helping doctors detect congenital heart disease, valvular disorders and other cardiac conditions that may otherwise go unnoticed.Doctors said the cardiac conditions encountered during pregnancy include congenital heart disease, rheumatic valvular disease, pulmonary hypertension, cardiomyopathies and arrhythmias. Early diagnosis and risk assessment are crucial to reduce complications and ensure appropriate care for both the mother and foetus.The department provides interventional cardiac procedures, including device closure of atrial and ventricular septal defects and ruptured sinus of Valsalva. Percutaneous transvenous mitral commissurotomy (PTMC) is also performed for suitable patients with rheumatic mitral stenosis.Patients are assessed individually and those with significant cardiac disease are managed through coordination between cardiology, obstetrics and other specialties.CMCH is a participating centre in the National Pregnancy and Cardiac Disease of India (NPAC-India) study, contributing to efforts to strengthen evidence-based cardio-obstetric care.
