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Objective: Previous retrospective studies suggest that patients’ self management of oral anticoagulants leads to improved control. In this prospective randomized study, we investigated the effects of self management on the control of anticoagulant therapy and quality of life. Comparison with the conventional management through the Dutch Thrombosis Service is addressed. Methods: Between January 2005 and June 2007, 62 consecutive patients who underwent elective mechanical aortic valve replacement were included in this study. Patients were randomized into two groups: (1) conventional group controlled by the Local Thrombosis Service, and (2) self management group using CoaguChek^®. Primary endpoints were the total number of international normalized ratio (INR) values within the target range as well as the quality of life measurements (SF-36v2)^® one year postoperatively. Results: The …