Mekanik Kalp Kapağı Olan Gebe Hastalara Yaklaşım

Lifelong anticoagulation is mandatory for patients with mechanical heart valves and oral anticoagulation is the accepted treatment modality worldwide. When these patients become pregnant, oral anticoagulation still needs to be continued. However, oral anticoagulant drugs have known fetal side effects. The possible alternative drugs are standard heparin and low molecular weight heparins, but they may not protect the mechanical heart valve from thrombosis. This situation carries both the phycisian and the patient to a difficult dilemma because every medication has its own risks. Because of the absence of a risk-free medication protecting both the mother and the baby, differing medication protcols have been suggested. The aim of this review is to analyze the literature data to achieve how we can manage this difficult patient group.