Hemodynamic Profiling in Complicated Pregnancies

In order to permit a successful pregnancy outcome, the cardiovascular system must undergo substantial changes. This thesis addresses the hemodynamics in several pregnancy complications. A general overview of normal hemodynamic adaptation to pregnancy is provided . Several techniques of non-invasive cardiovascular monitoring like transthoracic echocardiography, obstetric Doppler ultrasound, cardiac MRI and sidestream darkfield imaging for the microvascular assessment are described and validated in pregnant women. These techniques are then used to establish a hemodynamic profile in women with pregnancy complications like women requiring tocolysis , women with severe pre-eclampsia and a hypertensive crisis and women with cardiac disease. Additionally, issues concerning pregnancy and contraception in women with cardiac disease are discussed