Contraception after heart surgery

Abstract

This study represents the different methods of contraception used by women having cardiac surgery at Ain Shams University Hospital. The study comprised of 250 women having had mitral commissurotomy, 77 women having had valve replacement including one case of triple valve repair and 3 women having had cardiac surgery for congenital heart disease. An IUCD was used by 170 women (51.5%), vaginal tablets by 4 women (1.2%), oral contraceptive pills by 7 women (2.1%), "safe period" by 7 women (2.1%), tubal ligation was performed in 10 women (3%). The husbands of 33 women (10%) used condoms, and 99 women (30%) did not use contraceptive methods. The IUCD was tolerable and was associated with bleeding in 60 women (35.2%) and leucorrhoea in 55 (32.3%). The IUCD was removed from only one woman due to severe bleeding. Three pregnancies occurred with condom users in two women who had had mitral commissurotomy and one having had valve replacement. There was no case of bacterial endocarditis in the study group.

PIP: Different methods of contraception used by women undergoing cardiac surgery at the Ain Shams University Hospital in Cairo are discussed. The study including 250 women who had mitral commissurotomy, 77 with valve replacement including 1 case of triple valve repair, and 3 women who had cardiac surgery for congenital heart disease. An IUD was used by 170 women (51.5%), vaginal tablets by 4 (1.2%), oral contraceptives by 7 (2.1%), "safe period" by 7 women (2.1%), and tubal ligation was performed on 10 women (3%). The husbands of 33 women (10%) used condoms, and 99 women (30%) did not use any contraception. The IUD was tolerable, and was associated with bleeding in 60 women (35.2%) and leukorrhea in 55 (32.3%). The IUD was removed from only 1 woman because of severe bleeding. 3 pregnancies occurred with condom users in 2 women who had had mitral commissurotomy and 1 who had valve replacement. There was no incidence of bacterial endocarditis in the study group.