Early and long-term (one-year) effects of the association of aspirin and oral anticoagulant on thrombi and morbidity after replacement of the mitral valve with the St. Jude medical prosthesis a clinical and transesophageal echocardiographic study

• Published in: Journal of the American College of Cardiology Vol. 35; no. 3; pp. 739 - 746
• Main Authors: LAFFORT, P, ROUDAUT, R, ROQUES, X, LAFITTE, S, DEVILLE, C, BONNET, J, BAUDET, E
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Science 01.03.2000
• Subjects: Administration, Oral; Anticoagulants - administration & dosage; Aspirin - administration & dosage; Biological and medical sciences; Blood. Blood coagulation. Reticuloendothelial system; Drug Therapy, Combination; Echocardiography, Transesophageal; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Heart Valve Diseases - diagnostic imaging; Heart Valve Diseases - surgery; Heart Valve Prosthesis; Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation; Humans; Incidence; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Mitral Valve - diagnostic imaging; Mitral Valve - surgery; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors - administration & dosage; Prospective Studies; Reoperation; Risk Factors; Survival Rate; Thromboembolism - diagnostic imaging; Thromboembolism - epidemiology; Thromboembolism - prevention & control; Treatment Outcome; Human; Drug combination; Disk prosthesis; Mitral valve; Prognosis; Oral administration; Cardiovascular disease; Anticoagulant; Replacement; Acetylsalicylic acid; Antiplatelet agent; Morbidity; Vascular disease; Chemotherapy; Treatment; Follow up study; Surgery; Salicylates; Thromboembolism
• ISSN: 0735-1097; 1558-3597
• DOI: 10.1016/S0735-1097(99)00598-7

The aim of the study was to test the value of low dose aspirin associated with standard oral anticoagulants (OAC) after mechanical mitral valve replacement (MMRV) to reduce strands, thrombi and thromboembolic events. Strands and thrombi are thought to increase the risk of embolic events after MMVR, particularly in the immediate postoperative period. Two hundred twenty-nine patients were prospectively recruited: 109 patients (group A+) were randomly assigned to aspirin (200 mg per day) with OAC and 120 patients (group A-) to OAC alone (international normalized ratio 2.5 to 3.5). All patients were subjected to multiplane transesophageal echocardiography at nine days and five months and were followed up for one year. At nine days and five months, there was a high and comparable incidence of strands in the two groups (group A+: 44%, 58%; group A-: 49%, 63%). However, the incidence of nonobstructive periprosthetic valve thrombi was significantly lower in group A+ at 9 days: 5% versus 13%, p = 0.03. Total thromboembolic events were reduced in group A+ (9% vs. 25%, p = 0.004) although there was an increased incidence of gastrointestinal hemorrhage (7% vs. 0%). Overall mortality was 9% in group A+ and 4% in group A-. Valve-related events were similar in both groups. Early thrombi, but not strands, were associated with higher morbidity, especially thromboembolic events (30% vs. 13%, p = 0.003). One year after MMVR, the association of aspirin with OAC reduced thrombi and thromboembolic events, but not morbidity, due to an increase in hemorrhagic complications.