Anticoagulation management in patients with mechanical heart valves having pacemaker or defibrillator insertion

BACKGROUND: In patients with a high risk for stroke and having invasive procedures with a high risk for bleeding it is unclear how anticoagulant therapy should be managed. METHODS: We reviewed data from all patients with mechanical heart valves, who had elective insertion or replacement of pacemaker or implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) during the past 8years at our hospital. Data on anticoagulant treatment, pocket hematoma and …