Could a 3-Month Low-Dose blood thinner replace lifelong pills after heart procedure?

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Age ≥18 years; * Documented nonvalvular AF (≥30 seconds on ECG within previous 12 months); * CHA2DS2-VASc score ≥3 for women and ≥2 for men; * Signed informed consent to participate in the study; Exclusion Criteria: * Active indication for anticoagulation OTHER than atrial fibrillation at the time of enrollment and/or the predicted/unpredicted occurrence of such indications during the entire study period (e.g., mechanical valve, acute VTE, recent PE requiring \>3 months anticoagulation); * Inability to tolerate at least 3 months of apixaban therapy (for LAAC arm); * Indications for antiplatelet therapy or therapy with P2Y12 inhibitors at the time of inclusion and/or the predicted/unpredicted occurrence of such indications during the entire study period; * The presence of mechanical prosthetic heart valves, mitral stenosis of severe or moderate degree; * Active DVT requiring anticoagulation; * Congenital or acquired haemostasis disorders, rheumatic heart disease or recurrent deep vein thrombosis; * Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) \< 30%; * Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) \< 30 ml/min (stage IV or V chronic kidney disease) or dialysis patient; * Severe liver failure, including cirrhosis and Child-Pugh Class C/D; * NYHA class IV congestive heart failure; * The patient had a myocardial infarction - MI with or without ST segment elevation (STEMI, NSTEMI) with or without intervention, within 30 days before LAAC; * The patient had a stroke (of any cause, ischemic or hemorrhagic) within 30 days before LAAC; * Intracardiac thrombus before LAAC; * Major bleeding according to BARC criteria (type 3 and higher) within 30 days before LAAC or before randomization; * Amyloid cardiomyopathy; * Platelet count \< 100,000 x 109/l; * The patient participates in another study, with the exception of observational studies without therapeutic interventions; * Pregnant or breast-feeding patients, patients planning pregnancy during the study period; * The LAAC procedure was unsuccessful or interrupted for technical reasons; * PDL (peridevice leak) ≥ 3 mm; * Contraindications for one of the treatment regimens prescribed by the study protocol (including allergic reactions); * Planned cardiac or non-cardiac surgical procedure within 30 days before or 90 days after LAAC. Minor procedures not requiring discontinuation of antithrombotic therapy are permitted (e.g., cardioversion, catheter ablation, cataract surgery); * The patient has a heart tumor, active infection, signs of physiological tamponade; * The documented life expectancy of the patient is less than 12 months;