Taking warfarin and pregnancy

According to statistics, the prevalence of wind heart disease is 2-3 times higher in women than in men, and it occurs mostly between the ages of 25-35, which is the age when women get married and have children. For some patients with more severe disease, valve replacement surgery is a more effective method. The mechanical flap is now more popular in clinical practice. The question arises as to whether a woman with a mechanical flap can become pregnant. Women with mechanical flaps can become pregnant, but they must do so at the right time and under the right conditions in order to avoid the greatest possible risk. (1) Pregnancy is recommended 3 years after flap replacement surgery: The 3-year time frame is not a hard and fast indicator, but depends on the actual recovery of the patient after surgery. Since patients with mechanical flaps require long-term anticoagulation, pregnancy and delivery are detrimental to anticoagulated patients. After valve replacement, the prosthetic valve implanted in the patient needs an “adaptation period”, and the patient’s heart burden will be relatively large after the surgery, so a period of time is needed to adjust and make the heart function slowly recover. (2) The use of anticoagulant drugs should be careful: Experts point out that anticoagulant drugs are essential for patients with replacement mechanical valves, mainly to prevent thrombosis. The most widely used anticoagulant drug is warfarin, but warfarin is directly harmful to the fetal nervous system and the development of the five senses. Therefore, if women decide to become pregnant, they must follow the advice of their physician and use the medication appropriately. It is the dream of every woman to become a mother, and for patients with mechanical flap replacement, pregnancy is possible, but the key is to master the timing of pregnancy and the techniques of medication, so that pregnancy and delivery can be carried out safely while maintaining the health of the self.