Postoperative care and patient follow-up
Postoperative anticoagulation therapy with warfarin was continued only for the first 3 months. The prothrombin time–international normalized ratio was controlled at 1.5 to 2.5. Because no patients developed atrial fibrillation, subsequent continuation of anticoagulation therapy was not needed for any patients. Transthoracic echocardiograms were obtained before discharge and every year thereafter on an outpatient basis.