Oral anticoagulants or antiplatelet drugs after heart valve reconstructive surgery: modern guidelines for the practitioners

Abstract

After heart valve surgery, anticoagulant therapy is usually recommended. The duration and necessity of combining oral anticoagulants with antiplatelet drugs depends on the type of manipulation performed, patient comorbidity and some other factors. Several randomized trials have shown that continued direct oral anticoagulation as monotherapy in some groups of patients requiring cardiac surgery is superior in efficacy and safety to treatment combining anticoagulant and antiplatelet drugs. The presented literature review reflects the management strategy of patients after heart valve operations.

Keywords

• anticoagulants
• antiplatelet agents
• heart valves
• endovascular surgery