Sport despite artificial heart valve
Sporting activity is right and good in almost every situation in life. However, especially after the installation of an artificial heart valve, sports play an even more important role. Sport is in principle one of the most important pillars of the therapy of a heart patient and should be incorporated into the everyday life of a heart patient as regularly as possible.
However, it is important not to overtax yourself and not to demand too much from your body. The duration and intensity of the sport is therefore an individual matter. Depending on the duration of the existing heart disease, the previous damage to the heart can vary.
A severely pre-damaged heart then needs considerably longer to recover after a heart valve operation and to achieve the desired performance. It is important to be aware that in the majority of cases, an artificial heart valve no longer allows for competitive sports. However, in the context of heart disease it is primarily a matter of doing endurance sports and training the heart and body in such a way that the performance capacity also increases in everyday life. Endurance sports such as walking, cycling or swimming are good for the heart. They should therefore be incorporated into everyday life at regular intervals.
Coumar®
Another important question that patients with an artificial heart valve often ask themselves is what the treatment with blood thinners is like. The use of blood thinners is particularly important for patients who have a mechanical heart valve. The drug Marcumar® is the most commonly used drug for this purpose.
Marcumar® is administered promptly after the operation. Initially, it is given in increased dosages to achieve the necessary concentration. Afterwards, regular blood checks must be performed to monitor the effect of the blood thinning.
Since a mechanical heart valve is a foreign body in the body and the body perceives it as such, a mechanical heart valve poses a risk for the development of thrombi (blood clots) on its surface. It is therefore particularly important to ensure effective blood thinning using Marcumar® and to take it regularly. If any surgery is planned, the patient must discuss this with his or her family doctor.
Usually, Marcumar® is then switched to a different blood thinner for a certain period of time. This is usually the so-called unfractionated heparin for heart valve patients. In contrast to patients with a mechanical heart valve, patients with a biological artificial heart valve do not require lifelong blood thinning.
