Maternal mortality from acute pulmonary oedema
can be reduced by the appropriate selection of
patients for surgical treatment in whom the risk of
continuing with conservative management is likely
to be greater than that of operating during pregnancy.
Though the operative risk is not higher
during pregnancy than in the non-pregnant state,
it is of course true that two lives are at stake. The
incidence of traumatic mitral regurgitation should
nowadays be very low and with facilities for open
heart surgery immediate repair or valve replacement
can be undertaken.