Bengaluru: A 28-year-old woman who collapsed just a week after giving birth was diagnosed with a life-threatening 95% blockage in one of the heart’s main arteries, after initial tests failed to detect a heart attack.

The case, shared by Dr Ranjan Shetty, underscores the importance of looking beyond routine postpartum complications when women experience severe breathlessness or unexplained weakness after childbirth.

Initial tests failed to detect heart problem

According to Dr Shetty, the woman was rushed to the emergency department after collapsing while climbing a flight of stairs at her home. What initially appeared to be normal post-delivery fatigue soon developed into severe breathlessness, leaving her unable to walk.

Doctors performed an electrocardiogram (ECG), but it did not show the typical signs of a heart attack. Blood tests, including troponin levels, were also largely inconclusive.

However, because her symptoms were unusually severe, doctors carried out an urgent echocardiogram (Echo), which revealed that her heart’s pumping function had become significantly weakened.

Angiogram uncovers critical artery blockage

As the woman was only one week postpartum, doctors initially suspected peripartum cardiomyopathy, a condition that weakens the heart muscle during the final stages of pregnancy or within six months after delivery.

However, her overall clinical condition did not fully match that diagnosis, prompting the medical team to conduct a coronary angiogram.

The angiogram revealed the real cause—a 95% blockage in the left anterior descending (LAD) artery, one of the heart’s most important blood vessels. The finding enabled doctors to identify the actual condition and initiate appropriate treatment.

The case serves as a reminder that heart disease can affect young women, including those who have recently delivered a baby, and that persistent breathlessness or chest discomfort after childbirth should never be ignored. #HeartHealth #Postpartum #CardiacCare #Women’sHealth #CoronaryAngiogram #Healthcare #NewsKarnataka