Which drug is recommended for anticoagulation in a patient with a prosthetic heart valve?

All patients with mechanical prosthetic valves require lifelong anticoagulation with a VKA (eg, warfarin). DOACs include the oral direct thrombin inhibitor dabigatran and the direct factor Xa inhibitors rivaroxaban, apixaban, and edoxaban.

What drug is prescribed following mechanical heart valve replacement?

Coumadin is the brand name for the anticoagulant (blood thinner) drug, warfarin. Coumadin therapy is used to reduce the risk of blood clots, particularly among patients who receive an artificial heart valve.

Can you use eliquis with mechanical heart valve?

The answer is complex, but simply put, scientists simply don’t know how safe Eliquis is for patients with artificial heart valves. Eliquis’ official statement is that apixaban is not for people with heart valve problems. They make this very clear in their marketing material and website.

Can eliquis be used for valve replacement?

Eliquis is approved only for use in people with AFib that is not caused by a heart valve problem. People with prosthetic heart valves should not take Eliquis.

Can you take Xarelto with a mechanical heart valve?

The safety and efficacy of XARELTO® have not been studied in patients with other prosthetic heart valves or other valve procedures. Use of XARELTO® is not recommended in patients with prosthetic heart valves.

What blood thinners are used for mechanical valves?

Although low-molecular-weight heparin can be used to achieve anticoagulation, the vitamin K antagonist, warfarin, is currently the only oral anticoagulant recommended for patients with aortic and mitral mechanical heart valves.

Do you bridge for mechanical aortic valve?

In patients with a mechanical heart valve, atrial fibrillation, or venous thromboembolism who are at high risk for thromboembolism, bridging is recommended. To determine whether warfarin interruption is needed, the guidelines recommend thromboembolic risk stratification to determine need for bridging (TABLE).

What should your INR be with a mechanical heart valve?

A target INR range of 2.5–3.5 is the current recommendation in patients who have undergone mechanical mitral valve replacement [5–7].

What is the life expectancy of someone with an artificial heart valve?

Pooled data from 85 studies estimated that 89.7% of people survived for two years after surgery, 78.4% at five years, 57.0% at 10 years, 39.7% at 15 years, and 24.7% at 20 years.