The recovery period after heart surgery is about 6-8 weeks. Generally, you will feel physically and mentally tired. Even irritability, impatience and the urge to cry are normal reflections, and this feeling usually disappears after a few weeks. The speed of recovery varies from patient to patient. It is very important to follow your doctor’s advice, stick to proper exercise, prevent infection and maintain a healthy lifestyle for your recovery. You should also take your anticoagulant daily as directed by your doctor and have regular outpatient follow-ups to test your prothrombin time (PT) and INR. You should pay attention to the following symptoms and seek medical attention immediately to prevent the occurrence of the following symptoms: 1. Chest tightness and chest pain that cannot be relieved within a few minutes. 2.Sudden difficulty in breathing, and gradually worsen. 3.Brief blindness or fog in one eye. 4.Abnormal sensations such as difficulty moving, numbness and weakness in one side of the arm, leg or face. 5.Speech slurred. 6.Unusual rapid weight gain, or swollen ankles (if this condition is found, the weight should be measured daily). 7.Sudden fainting. 8.Fatigue, especially with a fever that does not go away within a few days (your doctor will order you to take your temperature twice a day for 2-3 weeks). 9.Chills or high fever. 10.Unusual bleeding or bruising. 11.Darkening of stool color or red urine color, there may be internal bleeding condition, for which an occult blood test should be done. 12.Sudden change or disappearance of heart valve opening and closing sound, or abnormal heart rate. 13.Inconsistent heartbeat. 14.Redness, swelling, oozing and other discomfort at the incision. 15.There is often a burning sensation at the urethral opening. Why do valve replacement patients need anticoagulation therapy? Since the prosthetic valve is not the body’s own tissue, blood can easily coagulate in and around the prosthetic valve, causing thrombosis and affecting the function of the prosthetic valve. If the thrombus is dislodged, it can also cause serious consequences of vascular embolism (cerebral thrombosis, lower limb artery embolism, etc.), which is very harmful to the human body. Therefore, all valve replacement patients should receive anticoagulation therapy to prevent thrombosis. Biologic valve replacements generally require three months of postoperative anticoagulation, those with atrial fibrillation require eight months, and those with mechanical valves require lifelong anticoagulation. The prothrombin time (PT) and INR should be reviewed regularly in the near future after discharge, usually once a week, and then if the results are stable, the interval between reviews can be gradually extended to once a month, with the maximum interval not exceeding 3 months. Regardless of the length of surgery or whether PT is stable, PT must be reviewed regularly in strict accordance with the above schedule, otherwise serious consequences are likely to occur. If you have any of the following symptoms, you should see a doctor immediately: 1. unusual bruises, red spots, or purple spots on the skin 2. unusual nasal or gum bleeding, blood in saliva 3. blood in urine 4. bloody or black stool 5. blood or coffee-like substance in vomit 6. extra-long menstrual period