Antithrombotic Therapy after Bioprosthetic Aortic Valve Replacement: A Therapeutic Morass

Abstract

Valvular heart disease is a common pathologic condition that affects 6 million people in the United States and more than 100 million worldwide. The most common valvular disorder is aortic stenosis. Current American and European guidelines recommend surgical management for symptomatic aortic stenosis with low risk of perioperative complications and endovascular intervention for high-risk patients with multiple comorbidities. Considering the increasing volume of aortic valve replacement (AVR) with biological valves, it is very important to select the appropriate anticoagulant after surgical AVR. In this article, we review the impact of anticoagulation on immediate and remote complications after AVR.

Keywords: Bioprosthesis; Adverse effects; Anticoagulation; Aortic valve replacement; Complications; Mechanical aortic valve.