A Mother's Heart
Congenital heart valve issues addressed for a new mom
July 22, 2024
4 minute read
Congenital heart valve issues addressed for a new mom
The transition to motherhood did not unfold as Raquel “Rocki” Hein expected.
Caleb, her first child, was born in July 2023 at Froedtert Menomonee Falls Hospital, part of the Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin health network. Two days later, Rocki and her boyfriend, Kyle, were eagerly preparing to take Caleb home when Rocki suddenly spiked a fever and began shaking with chills.
Rocki had an infection that her doctors suspected had started in her urinary tract. They gave her IV antibiotics and monitored her over several days at the hospital. When the fever cleared and she no longer needed fever medication, she was discharged. However, after a few good days at home, the fever returned.
“I would wake up at night just drenched in sweat,” she said. Rocki’s primary care doctor ordered a blood draw that revealed signs of sepsis, a severe and life-threatening reaction to an infection. She was admitted to Froedtert West Bend Hospital, near her home.
Rocki received more IV antibiotics to address the infection. Diagnostic imaging showed the infection had caused endocarditis, an inflammation in her heart.
Her doctors also discovered that Rocki had a previously undiagnosed congenital heart defect. She was born with a bicuspid aortic valve, meaning that instead of the typical three-part valve, Rocki’s aortic valve had just two parts and it leaked, allowing blood to flow backward into her heart. Rocki learned she might eventually need surgery to repair the leaky valve. She was discharged and Kyle received training to give Rocki additional IV antibiotics at home.
As the weeks passed, Rocki still did not feel right. Sometimes while sitting in the rocking chair with the baby asleep on her chest, she felt an odd sensation. “I described it as Pop Rocks or a crackling around my heart,” she said.
One night in September, she woke up gasping for air. Kyle took her and the baby back to Froedtert West Bend Hospital, where Emergency Department doctors determined that Rocki’s heart valve had deteriorated and she was experiencing congestive heart failure. They made the decision to transfer her by ambulance to Froedtert Hospital where she would be cared for by a multidisciplinary team that specializes in heart valve problems.
“The team includes interventional cardiologists, cardiac surgeons and imaging experts, and we have many different tools to treat people who have a heart valve problem,” said Paul Pearson, MD, PhD, cardiothoracic surgeon and MCW faculty member. “Rocki’s bicuspid aortic valve made her heart especially vulnerable to infection, and she needed open heart surgery to replace her valve.”
Patients can have either animal tissue valves or metal valves. In young patients like Rocki, animal tissue valves tend to wear out quickly, making the mechanical valve a better choice. One concern is that people with a mechanical valve must take a blood thinner for the rest of their lives, but Dr. Pearson said that the type of valve used within the Froedtert & MCW health network is engineered so patients need a lower dose of blood thinner.
The team also found that Rocki had an aortic aneurysm next to her heart. Dr. Pearson opted to address this during the surgery, replacing that section of the aorta with a polyester graft so Rocki would not need a later procedure.
The surgery was successful. In the hours and days after surgery, Rocki received visits from physical and occupational therapists, who helped her sit up and start to walk.
One of Rocki’s top priorities was to breastfeed Caleb. Her doctors carefully chose antibiotics and other medications that would be safe for her to take while nursing. While Rocki was in the hospital, Kyle, as well as Rocki’s mom, sisters and friends, helped care for Caleb, bringing him back and forth to the hospital so he could spend most of each day with her.
After the surgery, she returned home in just four days and continued to attended cardiac rehabilitation at Froedtert West Bend Hospital.
In addition to appreciating the support from her loved ones, Rocki expressed gratitude for the medical care she received. “Dr. Pearson is one of the best humans alive,” Rocki said. “He encouraged me to pursue testing for Caleb to confirm he does not have the same congenital heart defect. I learned that Caleb is clear.
“After everything that happened, I’m looking forward to just being with Caleb.”
Froedtert & MCW heart and vascular experts offer a broad spectrum of valve disease treatment, including nonsurgical and minimally invasive procedures. Visit froedtert.com/heart-valve-disease to learn more.
