If you haveheart valve replacementsurgery, you will be prescribed ablood thinner(a.k.a.
an anticoagulant) upon discharge from the hospital.
You may need to take this drug for the rest of your life.
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That can cause the valve to clog and malfunction.
This creates another opportunity for blood clots to form.
Valves are made of both carbon and metal.
Common Blood Thinners After Valve Replacement
The first-line blood thinner prescribed to valve patients is warfarin.
Aspirin may also be recommended by itself or in combination with warfarin.
The need for thinners rarely lasts more than 90 days.
Some patients may only require aspirin or warfarin, while others receive a combination of the two.
Bleeding risk is a factor here.
This is also true before surgery in general.
Warfarin patients should also limit their alcohol consumption, as alcohol can affect how your body processes the drug.
Types of Replacement Heart Valves.
What are Blood Clots?.
American Academy of Family Physicians.
Heart Health.Heart valve surgery.
2019;154(2):e184679.
doi:10.1001/jamasurg.2018.4679
Blood Thinners and Dental Care.
The American Academy of Oral Medicine.
Highlights of Prescribing Information: Coumadin.
US Food & Drug Administration.
American Heart Association.A patient’s guide to taking warfarin.
2019;107(5):15711581. doi:10.1016/j.athoracsur.2018.10.016
