Pulmonary Embolism: Current Role of Catheter Treatment Options and Operative Thrombectomy

Pulmonary embolism remains a leading cause of death in the United States, with an estimated 180,000 deaths per year. Guideline-based treatment in most cases recommends oral anticoagulation for 3 months. However, in a small subset of patients, the "submassive, high-risk" by current nomenclature, with hemodynamic instability, more advanced therapeutic options are available. Treatment modalities to extract the thromboembolism and reduce pressure overload in the cardiopulmonary system include use of intravenous or catheter-directed thrombolytic agents, catheter-directed mechanical thrombectomy, and surgical embolectomy. This article discusses current minimally invasive and surgical methods for reducing embolic burden in patients with submassive, high-risk pulmonary embolism.