Please need your advise

My wife is 19wk pregnant after IVF procedure ( 8 years fertility), our precious baby diagnosed yesterday with major congenital hear problem, our baby will need at least 3 surgeries with the first 2 years to correct the bllod circulation and after that he/she will not be normal...... we considering termination ( IT IS VERY HARD DECISION ) ....Actually I have many questions in case we do termination:

1. Any risk on my wife ( will probably 20wk).
2. Is this termination may affect on her uterus
3. How long my wife needs to go back to normal ( uterus size and breast size )
4. When we can start do IVF again
5. What is your advice
my wife had PCO with moderate to severe hyperstimulation in addition she is taking her Thyroid pills.

Thanks
God bless you

[Elaine Brown, MD]

Hi!
I'm so sorry to hear that your baby has a heart problem.  What devastating news after trying for so long!
Firstly, I cannot give advice in this column, but will try to answer some of your questions.
Heart surgeries are amazingly successful these days.  If there is any possibility that the heart can be repaired, it is worth real and careful consideration.  If you were my patients, I would encourage you to speak to a pediatric cardiovascular surgeon (depending upon the type of diagnosis).
A pregnancy termination at 19 weeks can have complications, but can also be accomplished without too much difficulty if done by a skilled provider.  If your wife were my patient, and decided for termination, I would refer to a person who does the procedure commonly and in the hospital (as opposed to an out patient clinic).  In some cases the providers will elect to induce labor instead of performing a D&E.
Physically, a return to "normal" after the procedure can be quite rapid--4-6 weeks.  It can also take some time (I have seen more than one patient who began lactating afterwards).
Emotionally, it will take longer -- obviously.
I would not expect the doctors to want to attempt another IVF procedure for at least 3 - 6 months after a termination.

I certainly do not envy you and your decision.  I do know that your continued support will be very beneficial to your wife whatever you two decide to do!

Hope this helps a bit!
Dr B