title: Mechanical Aortic Valve Without Anticoagulation or Mechanical Failure for 24 Years.
abstract: Current guidelines for mechanical aortic valves suggest that patients should receive lifelong anticoagulation after implantation to prevent thromboembolic events. There are currently very few studies that explore patient outcomes without anticoagulation after mechanical aortic valve placement. We herein present a case of a patient who had stopped taking warfarin 2 years after having a mechanical aortic valve replacement, yet had no thromboembolic events or mechanical failure for 24 years.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina.
authors.forename: Bradley
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: LeNoir
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina.
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sbrocchi
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina.
authors.forename: Walter F
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: DeNino
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina. Electronic address: ikonomij@musc.edu.
authors.forename: John S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Ikonomidis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001021:Aortic Valve; D006353:Heart-Assist Devices; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013997:Time Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome