Contemporary Catheter-Based Interventions for Acute Venous Thromboembolism: A New Frontier in Cardiology

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) remains the third most-common cause of cardiovascular death, and morbidity from VTE is a significant management challenge. Catheter-directed interventions for deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE), including catheter-directed thrombolysis (CDT), pharmacomechanical CDT, and mechanical thrombectomy (MT), have changed the landscape of treatment options in this field. As use of these techniques expands, optimal patient selection remains critical, necessitating a nuanced approach grounded in risk stratification, anatomic considerations, and bleeding risk. This review offers guidance on appropriate patient selection, an update on the results of recent clinical trials, and future directions for this rapidly evolving domain.