title: Three pregnancies with mechanical heart valve and no follow-up in 10 years.
abstract: Anticoagulation and proper INR (International Normalized Ratio) monitoring is essential for patients having mechanical heart valves; it is vital in these patients in order to prevent lethal complications such as valve thrombosis and systemic embolism. In pregnancy, it becomes even more important as pregnancy itself is a hypercoagulable state. This report describes a female patient having undergone mitral valve replacement with a Starr Edward metallic prosthesis. She came back to the operating surgeon after 10 years of valve replacement with a history of three uneventful healthy deliveries and no follow-up and INR monitoring during this period.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiac Surgery, Punjab Institute of Cardiology, Lahore, Pakistan. rajapakhtar@gmail.com
authors.forename: Raja Parvez
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Akhtar
authors.forename: Abdul Rehman
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Abid
authors.forename: Hasnain
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zafar
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D019918:Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation; D006801:Humans; D008946:Mitral Valve Stenosis / Q000628:therapy*; D010298:Parity; D011247:Pregnancy; D011249:Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular / Q000628:therapy*; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D013997:Time Factors