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Do I really need a loop recorder?
Heart Rhythm Conditions | Last Active: Nov 3, 2025 | Replies (19)Comment receiving replies
Yes, it sounds correct. A month of recording your every heartbeat without AFib would indicate that you don’t need a blood thinner because there is no A-Fib present to protect against. Or, if AFib is present, a thinner is necessary.
I have a loop recorder and it is a simple painless procedure that essentially will catch any episode of AFib which arises. I am not aware of its presence- the size of a paperclip under the skin above the muscle.
If the recorder shows AFib- then back onto the thinner for safety from a stroke. At that point, the Watchman would make sense to potentially allow you to go off the thinners. Watchman does not stop Afib, but simply closes off the useless appendage of the atrium from which clots are formed and emerge.
There does seem to be a stroke risk for people who are in and out of AFib without any symptoms. A loop recorder for those patients seems especially useful. If the arrhythmia reappears via the recorder, protective thinners could immediately begin.
Good luck!
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@wcuro Hello! You mention that you have a loop recorder. Nothing has been explained to me other than that I will get it and it will transmit data daily to a monitoring system run by the company for my recorder, which is Medtronic. Are you able to check the data somehow yourself on a daily basis? But you are currently not on the blood thinners? So, if you do have an AFib episode that is silent, does the data company notify you right away to go back on the blood thinner? Or are you able to see that, yourself, and resume taking your blood thinner? I'm sorry to sound so confused, but I am.... the EP who diagnosed the AFib and put me on the Eliquis and Flecainide spent all of 5 minutes with me. No explanation. A month later, I switched to another primary cardiologist and he said I didn't need to follow up with the EP and I've been taking the meds ever since. I also have problems with balance, so I am a fall risk... and that concerns me about the Eliquis but I know I need it if I still have AFib.
If you began noticing that you have regular bouts of AFib from the data, would you then consider the Watchman to take care of the LAA problem so you no longer have to take the meds? The cardio's comment was.... "Well, but if you're going to continue taking the thinner, there's no need for the loop recorder." If the loop recorder DOES pick up frequent episodes of silent AFib, I think I would ask to be considered for the Watchman to take care of the LAA problem once and for all.
Sorry.... I know I'm probably making a whole lot out of something that is very insignificant in the grand scheme of things. I really do appreciate you sharing your thoughts! Best regards. Mike