The effect of levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine device on menorrhagia in women taking anticoagulant medication after cardiac valve replacement.
BACKGROUND
This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine devices (LNG-IUDs) on menorrhagia in patients receiving anticoagulant therapy after cardiac valve replacement.


METHODS
Forty women with menorrhagia who underwent cardiac valve replacement and were taking anticoagulant medication were enrolled in the study. The women were randomly divided into two groups: LNG-IUDs were inserted into 20 women in Group 1 over the first 3 days of menstrual bleeding, while the women in Group 2 were followed without any intervention. The activated partial thromboplastin time, prothrombin time, international normalized ratio, hematocrit level, hemoglobin level, ferritin level and pictorial bleeding assessments for the quantity of menstrual bleeding were recorded.


RESULTS
Three months after insertion of LNG-IUDs, the women in Group 1 had a significant decrease in blood loss and higher hemoglobin, hematocrit and ferritin values. No difference was detected for these parameters in the control group at the third and sixth months of the study. Coagulation parameters did not differ between the two groups.


CONCLUSIONS
LNG-IUDs can be considered as an effective non-surgical treatment for menorrhagia in women receiving anticoagulant therapy after cardiac valve replacement.
Kilic
Sevtap
S
Dr. Zekai Tahir Burak Women's Health Education and Research Hospital, Ankara 06420, Turkey. sevtapkilic@gmail.com
Yuksel
Beril
B
Doganay
Melike
M
Bardakci
Hasmet
H
Akinsu
Filiz
F
Uzunlar
Ozlem
O
Mollamahutoglu
Leyla
L
D000328:Adult; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood; D006350:Heart Valve Prosthesis; D006400:Hematocrit; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D019934:International Normalized Ratio; D007436:Intrauterine Devices, Medicated; D016912:Levonorgestrel / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008595:Menorrhagia / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy*
D000925:Anticoagulants; D006454:Hemoglobins; D016912:Levonorgestrel; D005293:Ferritins