Aim: To assess advantages of integrated approach to improvement of efficiency and safety of warfarin therapy after heart valve replacement.
Materials and methods: We included in this study 118 patients who had undergone simultaneous mitral valve replacement and maze procedure. Group 1 patients (n=37) underwent just sinus rhythm restoration, group 2 patients (n=54) underwent sinus rhythm restoration and participated in a patient education program, group 3 patients (n=27) underwent sinus rhythm restoration, participated in a patient education program, and were subjected to pharmacogenetic testing for warfarin sensitivity. In examination of patients we used clinical, demographic, and instrumental methods. Estimation of the time in the therapeutic range (TTR) of an international normalized ratio (INR) was used as a measure of warfarin therapy quality, and the Kaplan-Meier method was applied for analysis of hemorrhagic and thrombotic complications.
Results: TTR was 42 % in group 1, 68 % in group 2 (p=0.0327), and 82 % in group 3 (p=0.0019). Application of integrated approach was associated with absence of hemorrhagic and thrombotic complications within one year after heart valve replacement.
Conclusion: The integrated approach comprising restoration of sinus rhythm, patient education, and pharmacogenetic testing for warfarin sensitivity was associated with improved anticoagulation control, and prevention of hemorrhagic and thrombotic complications.
Keywords: international normalized ratio; patient education; pharmacogenetic testing; prosthetic heart valves; sinus rhythm.