Direct Oral Anticoagulants Versus Vitamin K Antagonists in the First 3 Months After Bioprosthetic Valve Replacement: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

The authors performed a systematic review to determine whether direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) are as safe and effective as vitamin K antagonists in the three months after bioprosthetic valve replacement. They found no difference regarding thrombosis, major bleeding, or deaths, although the interpretation was limited by the small number of events and wide confidence intervals. Future studies should focus on DOACs in surgical valves and have long-term follow-up.