— Gaudiani VA, Grunkemeier GL, Castro LJ, Fisher AL, Wu Y The Heart Surgery Forum Vol 7, Issue 2, 2004
Many patients are advised to have mechanical aortic valve replacement (AVR) because their expected longevity exceeds that of tissue prostheses. This strategy may avoid the risks of reoperation but exposes patients to the risks of long-term anticoagulation therapy. Which risk is greater?