Professional tennis player Serena Williams revealed she had to have multiple operations when she sustained a pulmonary embolism the day after giving birth to her daughter at the age of 36.
After her heart rate severely dropped during contractions, Ms. Williams gave birth to her daughter on Sept. 1, 2017, via emergency cesarean section. Although she had an easy pregnancy and the c-section went smoothly, Ms. Williams, who has a history of blood clots, said she fell short of breath the day after the surgery.
Ms. Williams told Vogue she immediately knew she was having a pulmonary embolism and informed her physicians, who spotted several small blood clots in her lungs and gave her a blood thinner. A coughing spell from the pulmonary embolism also caused Ms. Williams' c-section wound to open. When Ms. Williams returned to surgery, physicians also found a hematoma had flooded her abdomen.
To prevent more clots from dislodging and traveling into her lungs, Ms. Williams told Vogue she underwent another surgery to have a filter inserted into one of her veins.
Although Ms. Williams was bedridden for six weeks after giving birth, she is ready to return to tennis and her daughter is home and healthy.