ABSTRACT
Introduction Patients with prosthetic heart valves undergoing non-cardiac surgery share the risks of all patients with cardiac disease and are also threatened by the hazards of infective endocarditis, increased bleeding risk and the possibility of acute/subacute valve thrombosis or systemic thromboembolism associated with any interruption in anticoagulation. This chapter addresses these general issues briefly but focuses specifically on anticoagulant treatment in this difficult area.
