Hi Mike,
Yep your hunch is right, with an LAA emptying velocity of 21cm/sec that will preclude stopping a blood thinner but you are not necessarily on a blood thinner for life. You will have the option of having LAA Closure, for which LAA isolation patients who have too low a sustained LAA mechanical function on 6 month TEE, are ideal candidates for LAA Closure in most cases.
With a Windsock LAA morphology all the more incentive to close the LAA. The main question now is to have Dr Natale check what he would calculate your CHADS-VASc score plus his assessment of risk after LAA Closure... folks with a CHADS VASC of >2 will often require ongoing OAC drug too, though in some such cases it might well be worth doing both LAA Closure plus a possible half dose of Eliquis or other NOAC to address remaining systemic embolc risk, but nuancing such a combination approach is strictly for you and Dr Natale to sort out.
Those with low systemic stroke risk scores who also have too low LAA mechanical function after LAA isolation can very often still stop blood thinners once successful LAA closure is achieved with either ... Watchman/Amulet - Atriclip/Lariat ... yours truly being a living, breathing example!
It’s certainly worth gaining freedom from all Atrial arrhythmia, even if LAA isolation is required to achieve such a desirable goal. You’ll do fine Mike just follow Dr Natale’s recommendation here going forward and, in the meantime, make absolutely sure you do not miss any Eliquis doses.
Best wishes Mike,
Shannon
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/08/2018 03:39AM by Shannon.
