But before she could enjoy some much needed rest and relaxation, she found herself suddenly overcome with fatigue. What was more worrying is that she was struggling to breathe.
As she was seven months pregnant, the 21-year-old immediately headed to the Teluk Intan Hospital. She was not about to take any chances on her health and that of her baby’s.
Once at the hospital, her condition improved. But later she developed a fever coupled with shortness of breath. Then came the shocking news: she had tested positive for Influenza A.
As her blood pressure dropped to worrying levels, doctors transferred her to the intensive care unit (ICU). The following day, she went into labour.
Thankfully, her baby was safely delivered by emergency Caesarean section. But unlike most mothers, Ameera couldn’t savour the joy of holding her newborn in her arms as her condition was rapidly deteriorating.
More troubling news came when an echocardiogram revealed that her heart was functioning at about only 20%.
Recognising the severity of her condition, she was rushed to Institut Jantung Negara (IJN) where doctors raced against time to save her life by initiating extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO).
“We diagnosed this patient with peripartum cardiomyopathy, a condition in which the heart becomes weak. In some cases, it occurs during pregnancy; in others, it develops after the mother has given birth,” said Dr Suneta Sulaiman, IJN’s deputy head of anaesthesia and intensive care as well as consultant intensivist.
When Ameera’s weakened heart caused her liver and kidney to fail, doctors immediately administered initial treatment to remedy the condition. However, when this failed, the team at IJN initiated ECMO instead after thoroughly assessing the state of her health.
“’Extracorporeal’ means that the blood is circulated outside the body. This is how the machine helps: we draw blood from the patient’s body, and it enters the ECMO machine, where it is oxygenated.
“At the same time, carbon dioxide is removed from the blood by the machine. The blood is then returned to the patient’s body. It provides support in maintaining a safe and healthy oxygen level as well as ensuring good circulation throughout the body,” said Suneta.
When ECMO carries out these functions, she added, it allows organs like the lungs and heart to rest. ECMO is generally divided into two types: venovenous (VV) ECMO and venoarterial (VA) ECMO.
VV ECMO supports patients whose lungs are damaged or weakened while VA ECMO is used when the heart – or both the heart and lungs – need support.
“So, for this patient, because she was experiencing heart problems, we offered her VA ECMO,” said Suneta.
IJN’s ECMO team worked tirelessly, determined to give Ameera the best chance of survival.
“ECMO and treatments like transplants require teamwork. It’s not only about surgeons, anaesthesiologists, intensivist cardiologists – it’s a multidisciplinary decision,” said Dr Mohd Nazeri Nordin, IJN’s head of cardiothoracic and vascular surgery as well as senior cardiothoracic surgeon.
Ameera spent 11 days on ECMO, with the IJN team keeping a close eye on her progress.
The procedure was a success, and once her condition had improved significantly, she was discharged. Ameera is now on the road to recovery – and savouring precious time with her baby.
“I just want to say thank you – because of IJN, my baby is okay, and I’m getting better too,” said Ameera.
Ready to take charge of your heart health? Make an appointment with IJN today.
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