Midterm Results of Mitral VALVE Replacement for Heart Disease in Females in Child Bearing Period – Mechanical Versus Tissue Valves

Abstract

urrent guidelines limit mitral valve replacement to irrepairable valve pathology that will result in poor durability outcomes, especially in patients unlikely to tolerate future reinterventions. There are two basic types of prosthetic heart valves used in current clinical practice: mechanical and bioprosthetic valves. Young women planning pregnancy are considered high risk patients who require careful selection of the optimal prosthetic heart valve. Some authors advocate that mechanical heart valve prostheses, which require lifelong anticoagulant therapy (warfarin), are not appropriate because of the teratogenic potential of anticoagulants. However, the main issue with bioprosthetic heart valves is their finite lifespan and high risk of reoperation in the future.