TY - JOUR T1 - Prosthetic heart valves and management during pregnancy JF - Canadian Family Physician JO - Can Fam Physician SP - 155 LP - 157 VL - 55 IS - 2 AU - Farida Mary Jeejeebhoy Y1 - 2009/02/01 UR - http://www.cfp.ca/content/55/2/155.abstract N2 - QUESTION What are the major concerns during pregnancy for women with prosthetic heart valves? ANSWER There are 2 types of prosthetic heart valves, bioprosthetic and mechanical. Although successful pregnancies are possible for women with prosthetic heart valves, there are potential complications—some of which can be fatal—for both types of valves. Therefore, preconception counseling and assessment are recommended, and care for these patients should be delivered throughout pregnancy in a specialized program for high-risk patients by a multidisciplinary team. ER -