Perhaps one of the most significant concerns and considerations for patients anticipating heart valve replacement surgery is whether they will need to take blood thinning medications for the rest of their lives.<\/p>\n
For many patients, it can be the deciding factor in which valve to choose \u2013 a mechanical valve or tissue valve – as blood thinners come with various risks and side effects that patients must manage throughout their lifetime. Mechanical valves require blood thinners to prevent blood clots from forming. Tissue valves don\u2019t necessarily require anticoagulation, but certain conditions associated with heart valve disease or other health problems may still necessitate the use of blood-thinning medication for patients.<\/p>\n
We receive many patient questions about heart valve surgery and blood thinners. For example, Shirley just asked us, \u201cI\u2019ve read that patients who get tissue valves may go on blood thinners after heart surgery. Is that true? I thought that blood thinners were only for mechanical valve replacement patients.\u201d To answer Shirley\u2019s question, we met with Dr. Marc Gerdisch<\/a>, the Chief of Cardiac Surgery at Franciscan Health in Indianapolis, Indiana. Dr. Gerdisch has become one of the most beloved surgeons in our community, having successfully treated more than 100 patients at HeartValveSurgery.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n