The doctor has already scheduled my colonoscopy, but I am currently taking a new type of blood thinner. Should I stop taking the medication before the procedure?
Blood thinners, commonly known as anticoagulants, reduce the blood's ability to clot. They are used to lower the risk of stroke and other blood clots. If your blood's clotting ability is impaired, the risk of bleeding complications during and after surgery increases. However, patients taking blood thinners often have conditions with a high risk of stroke, such as atrial fibrillation, and discontinuing the medication may increase that risk.
Therefore, whether you should stop taking the medication depends on balancing these risks carefully.
In general, the decision to stop taking blood thinners and the timing of when to do so before surgery depend on three factors:
1) The complexity of the procedure and its associated risk of bleeding
2) The type of blood thinner you are taking
3) Your kidney function, measured by creatinine clearance (CrCl) in mL/min, helps determine how long your body needs to clear the medication to a safe level before surgery.
There are four types of novel oral anticoagulants (NOACs):
Dabigatran（Pradaxa
）
Apixaban（Eliquis）
Edoxaban（Lixiana）
Rivaroxaban（Xarelto）
Colonoscopy with polypectomy is considered a high-risk procedure for bleeding.
Dabigatran
Stop taking 48 to 96 hours beforehand, depending on kidney function and creatinine clearance (CrCl).
Apixaban, Edoxaban, Rivaroxaban
Stop taking 48 hours in advance.
Please remember that after the procedure, if your doctor determines that the bleeding is under control, you should resume taking your blood thinner as instructed.
***This information is for reference only. Patients should not make decisions independently and must consult their doctor to determine the best course of action based on their health condition and the type of procedure.