Dr. Natale put my Watchman in back in April 2023. Unfortunately, at the 6-month check up they detected a "tiny leak" so for now, I've been given two choices: stay on 2.5 mg of Eliquis twice daily, or take a baby aspirin every other day and one 2.5 mg Eliquis every day.

Of the two options, which one do you believe poses the least overall short-term and long-term bleeding risks (and other side effects)?

I'm just trying to figure out which of the two options I've been given would make the most sense and why. When I asked Dr. Natale's team, they didn't really have an answer for me. They just said either option was fine. I just had to pick one and stick with it.

I also wonder what my overall risk is in general of a clotting event with a "tiny leak." I'll have that conversation with Dr. Natale's team in May after my final check up with them if there is still a leak. I'm hoping it will be a small enough that I can just stick with aspirin every other day.

Travis

If you were to poll ten professors of hematology at the best teaching schools, I'll bet their answers would spread the risk in either case at around 3% +/- 1.% IOW, you're picking fly s..it out of the pepper.

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tvanslooten
Dr. Natale put my Watchman in back in April 2023. Unfortunately, at the 6-month check up they detected a "tiny leak" so for now, I've been given two choices: stay on 2.5 mg of Eliquis twice daily, or take a baby aspirin every other day and one 2.5 mg Eliquis every day.

Of the two options, which one do you believe poses the least overall short-term and long-term bleeding risks (and other side effects)?

I'm just trying to figure out which of the two options I've been given would make the most sense and why. When I asked Dr. Natale's team, they didn't really have an answer for me. They just said either option was fine. I just had to pick one and stick with it.

I also wonder what my overall risk is in general of a clotting event with a "tiny leak." I'll have that conversation with Dr. Natale's team in May after my final check up with them if there is still a leak. I'm hoping it will be a small enough that I can just stick with aspirin every other day.

Travis

We got our Watchmen within a day of each other with Dr. Natale. My followup instructions after the 6 month scan (no leaks detected though) were either 2.5 mg of Eliquis twice daily or a baby aspirin every other day. When I asked which he would recommend for me he said Eliquis—less bleeding and better stroke prevention. I had a post TEE appointment recently and they said that Dr. Natale is now asking for another scan at one year and a final scan at two years as two patients had unexpectedly developed clots many months out from their implantation. I believe that this is a recent recommendation. So they are being extra cautious here and maybe you should ask for an appointment about this or at least ask your nurse navigator to ask Dr. Natale for an updated recommendation.

I would definitely go with Eliquis twice daily. Eliquis is safer than aspirin and much less likely to cause GI bleeds.

Quote
tvanslooten
Dr. Natale put my Watchman in back in April 2023. Unfortunately, at the 6-month check up they detected a "tiny leak" so for now, I've been given two choices: stay on 2.5 mg of Eliquis twice daily, or take a baby aspirin every other day and one 2.5 mg Eliquis every day.

Of the two options, which one do you believe poses the least overall short-term and long-term bleeding risks (and other side effects)?

I'm just trying to figure out which of the two options I've been given would make the most sense and why. When I asked Dr. Natale's team, they didn't really have an answer for me. They just said either option was fine. I just had to pick one and stick with it.

I also wonder what my overall risk is in general of a clotting event with a "tiny leak." I'll have that conversation with Dr. Natale's team in May after my final check up with them if there is still a leak. I'm hoping it will be a small enough that I can just stick with aspirin every other day.

Travis

I watched a Twitter/X video from Dr Natale’s colleague who works beside him. However he showed some interesting posts how he implants a second watchman piggyback to seal the leak. You may want to investigate this if you want off eliquis.

Friday afternoon’s first live case will be performed by TCAI Faculty, Rodney Horton, MD. LAA closure leak coil injection - sealing a leak in the left atrial appendage from a prior procedure utilizing embolization coils.

Maybe X him a message



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/13/2024 10:14PM by susan.d.

I'll very often get some occult blood in my stool the day after I take and aspirin or an ibuprofen. I have not had the same issue with Eliquis.

JohnG

In fact, when on apixaban, people are given information, either in pamphlet form or verbally, or sent an email with links to information, that one is not to take NSAIDS or aspirin as they promote bleeding in the gut. That said, and I'm very fortunate to have been this way all my life, but I only ever take one, at most two, Aleve pills or gel caps each year, usually after a muscle pull or for a contusion/compression injury. I try to do it with food and drink to dilute its local unwanted effects, and so far it has worked well. No headaches or other disorders so far, except maybe a swollen joint on one middle finger that has pestered me for about three months now.

I think that heeding such warnings makes good sense, but using common dog is also helpful for the odd unusual circumstance.