ABSTRACT
Artificial heart valve has been used for more than 50 years, which mechanical valve has significant clinical effect in the treatment of valvular disease and has been widely used in cardiac-disease patients. After mechanical valve replacement, some female patients in childbearing age still have a family planning. Meanwhile, anticoagulants must be taken for lifelong to prevent thrombosis and thromboembolism. However, pregnancy is a special physiological preocess and anticoagulant therapy has a certain risk to both mothers and infants. Because the blood during pregnancy is in a hypercoagulable state, anticoagulant therapy has its particularity for pregnant patients after cardiac mechanical valve replacement. In addition, some anticoagulant drugs can affect fetal development. As a result, there is a lack of ideal and consistent anticoagulation scheme at present. In this paper, we review the related studies of anticoagulant drugs and anticoagulant therapy during pregnancy after mechanical valve replacement.