The Safety and Efficacy of Apixaban (Eliquis) in 5017 Post-bariatric Patients with 95.3% Follow-up: a Multicenter Study

Thromboprophylaxis in bariatric surgery is widely debated; however, few large articles evaluate treatment plans and their efficacy. Herein, we make the first large-scale report of the safety and efficacy of apixaban (Eliquis) for thrombus prevention following bariatric surgery.To evaluate the safety and efficacy of apixaban following bariatric surgery.Three private institutes, USA.Data from 5017 consecutive bariatric patients that were placed on postoperative apixaban for thromboprophylaxis were used for retrospective analysis. The dose prescribed to patients was 2.5 mg PO BID for a total of 30 days starting on day 3 postoperatively.In total, of the 5017 patients, 59.7%, 31.2%, 4.4%, 2.5%, 1.8%, and 0.1% of the patients had undergone sleeve gastrectomy (SG), single-anastomosis duodeno-ileal bypass with SG (SADI-S), Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB), conversion from SG to SADI, small bowel reconstruction, and RYGB reversal, respectively. The 30-day follow-up rate was 95.3%. In total, 1.7% of patients experienced apixaban-related side effects. The most common side effects were menorrhagia and rash. Two (0.03%) side effects developed into Clavien-Dindo grade II complications. Overall, 10 (0.1%) patients experienced thromboembolic complications (five (0.09%) PVTs and five (0.09%) PEs). In each case, the protocol was not followed for extenuating circumstances. There were no deaths or thromboembolic events in cases where the protocol was able to be fully followed.In conclusion, 30 days of postoperative apixaban appears to be safe and effective with minimal side effects while preventing thromboembolic events.