Young Japanese Mom Enjoying Life After Surviving Heart Failure

Mikako Sakamoto, from Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, Japan, experienced nausea and difficulty breathing while pregnant with her first child. On June 2, 2020, her husband, Norihiko, took her to the emergency room at Seirei Hamamatsu General Hospital. Mikako continued to have trouble breathing when she arrived at the emergency room and her obstetrician immediately performed an emergency caesarean delivery. 

After delivering her baby, Mikako continued to decompensate, and her medical team determined she was in cardiogenic shock with a severely reduced ejection fraction. Dr. Hideki Saito from the department of cardiology at Seirei Hamamatsu General Hospital treated her with a cardiac stimulant, but her symptoms did not improve. Dr. Saito then inserted Impella CP^TM heart pump to allow her heart to rest. Mikako’s heart function began to improve and Impella was weaned and removed. After spending over a month in the hospital, she returned home with her baby.

Three months later, her physician discovered that a pheochromocytoma tumor had caused her heart failure and she underwent surgery to remove the tumor. Today, Mikako is enjoying being a mom and looking forward to their second child.
 

As with any medical treatment, individual results may vary. There are potential risks, these risks need to be discussed with your doctor and recovery takes time. The success of this procedure depends on many factors, including your physical condition and your body’s ability to tolerate the procedure. Use care in the selection of your doctors and hospital, based on their skill and experience.