A 21-Year-Old Woman Is Scheduled for an Open Mitral Valve

A 21-year-old woman is scheduled for an open mitral valve commissurotomy for treatment of mitral stenosis. When explaining the advantage of valve repair instead of valve replacement to the patient, the nurse will include the information that

A) mechanical mitral valves require replacement about every 10 years.
B) no antibiotic prophylaxis to prevent endocarditis is needed after valve repair.
C) biologic replacement valves require the use of life-long immunosuppressive drugs.
D) long-term anticoagulation is necessary after mechanical valve replacement.