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DiscussionAfter an ablation and no AFib can I stop my blood thinner Xarelto?
Heart Rhythm Conditions | Last Active: Sep 3 11:31am | Replies (36)Comment receiving replies
Replies to "As you know, the protocol after installing the Watchman is a low dose aspirin "for the..."
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What after-sale support would you expect from them? What maintenance should the wearer be doing in order to keep the Watchman in place, sealed, and otherwise inert, apart from a low-dose aspirin, as the Watchman monograph suggests?
As far as I know, there is no protocol, only a suggested practice (the citation below uses the term 'recommended'), and it's up to the EP and patient to agree on their own individual prescription for prophylaxis. Dr. Andrea Natale routinely invites some, not all, of his patients to cease taking a DOAC once the six-month TEE verifies that the person's Watchman is still properly inserted and not leaking. From there, other factors and comorbidities might mean that continued use of a DOAC, or a 'baby aspirin', daily is a wise move.
https://citoday.com/articles/2017-may-june/anticoagulation-management-after-watchman-implantation
This study discusses the relative efficacy of DOAC use over aspirin:
https://www.structuralheartjournal.org/article/S2474-8706(22)00827-2/fulltext