Dimona woman delivers triplets after undergoing angioplasty for heart attack

Drama took place recently at Rehovot’s Kaplan Medical Center; woman suffered heart attack at 30th week of pregnancy.

By JUDY SEIGEL-ITZKOVICH
Zinav Alpiomi in hospital with baby. (photo credit: Courtest Kaplan Medical Center )
Zinav Alpiomi in hospital with baby.
(photo credit: Courtest Kaplan Medical Center )
A 31-year-old Dimona woman who had tried to become pregnant for 12 years through in-vitro fertilization suffered a heart attack during her 30th week of pregnancy – and delivered healthy triplets soon after undergoing angioplasty of her coronary arteries.
The drama took place at Rehovot’s Kaplan Medical Center, which reported the event on Thursday. Two of the baby girls were born at 1.6 kilos, and a third at 1.3 kilos.
The parents named one of the babies Zohara to honor a nurse in the neonatal intensive care unit who devotedly takes care of them.
The mother, Zinav Alpiomi, was rushed to Kaplan last week after suffering an acute heart attack. She underwent examination in the heart institute, headed by Prof. Kobi George, and went for catheterization and the clearing of her clogged coronary artery. Afterward, she was transferred to the surgical department to undergo delivery by cesarean section on January 1.
Alpiomi, a special education teacher, and her husband Ahmed were overjoyed when, after so many pregnancy attempts, she got pregnant via IVF. They decided to keep all three fetuses out of fear that she would have a spontaneous abortion. Suddenly she felt labor pains, as well as strong chest pains that signaled she was having a heart attack, despite her young age. The doctors knew that to remain viable in her womb, she would need an angioplasty to increase the blood supply to her heart and stabilize heart function.
Eight days after giving birth, she saw her daughters for the first time and burst into tears.
Ahmed said that during their 12 years of infertility, he had given up, but his wife had insisted on undergoing IVF again despite the risks.
“We were so close to losing her and the babies, but today we thank God and the Kaplan medical staff,” the joyful husband said.