Anticoagulant therapy

To prevent blood clotting on the valve, patients with prosthetic valves require life long anticoagulant therapy. The patient is put on oral anticoagulant after chest drainage tube is taken out. Usual drug given is tab. Sintrom . The dose is adjusted according to the patient's reading. There is need to monitor the prothrombin time (PT) at regular intervals.

Initially every week for one month, then two weekly, monthly and once is three months. The patient is maintained at two to two and a half times the control, the purpose is to keep the blood thin to prevent blood clotting which can damage the prosthetic valve. The patient may be able to get these tests done by the nearby health center or with the help of the family doctor.