[Necessary diagnostic measures for determining indications for pulmonary embolectomy]

Pulmonary angiography is the most reliable diagnostic procedure to establish the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism (high sensitivity and specificity). Therefore it should be performed routinely in the presence of any clinical suspicion of pulmonary embolism (PE) unless PE was excluded by perfusion lung scan or the patient needs urgent operative treatment because of hemodynamical instability. Hemodynamic parameters, blood gas measurements and right ventricular pressures as well are only useful in the therapeutic management and are of limited value in the diagnosis of PE.