What to Expect After Valve Replacement for Rheumatic Heart Disease

After valve replacement for rheumatic heart disease, it is necessary to pay attention to regular anticoagulation therapy and timely follow-up. Rheumatic heart disease mainly involves the mitral valve, aortic valve, after surgery for valve replacement, due to the implantation of foreign body artificial valves in the body, therefore need to prevent thrombosis and lead to various tissues and organs embolism, commonly used anticoagulation treatment with warfarin sodium. Prosthetic heart valves are mainly biological valves and mechanical valves, the former due to good biocompatibility, the need for postoperative anticoagulation, and regular blood sampling to review the coagulation function and adjust the dose of drugs according to the results of the International Normalized Ratio (INR) to maintain between 2.0 and 3.0; mechanical valve replacement, due to poor biocompatibility of metal valves, the need for lifelong oral anticoagulation, prevention of thrombus formation. In addition, it is recommended to review the cardiac ultrasound annually after valve replacement to check the valve function and morphology to prevent the occurrence of adverse effects. Specific treatment should be in accordance with medical advice.