Deep vein thrombosis :: New vacuum method breaks up DVT blood clots

A study demonstrates that a new technique safely and effectively removes blood clots in the body faster, reducing patient risk for pulmonary embolism and disability.

Deep vein thrombosis is a blood clot (thrombos) in a vein deep within the muscle, typically in the thigh or calf. It is caused by disease or the lack of activity such as sitting for hours at a computer screen. If part of the thrombos breaks off, it becomes an embolism, which can travel through the heart and block the arteries to the lungs. Prevention of this condition is less sitting and more walking.

The interventional radiology treatment was also shown to have a positive impact on patients? quality of life, relieving symptoms such as pain and swelling, as well as greatly improving their ability to be active. The ?rapid lysis? technique combines a clot-dissolving drug with a clot removal device, thus improving the breaking up and dissolving of the clot, which is then vacuumed out of the vein and into the catheter, nonsurgically clearing away the deep vein thrombosis (DVT).

Blood flow is restored throughout the leg, resolving symptoms. Patients in the study had extensive, large volume DVT that commonly ran the length of the leg from the ankle to the pelvis, and often into the vena cava. Although the body may eventually dissolve clots, in the time needed to do so, permanent damage to the vein may occur, causing permanent disability and pain. In addition, previous studies have shown that clots in the larger veins will rarely clear on their own. The research was presented today at the Society of Interventional Radiology?s 32nd Annual Scientific Meeting.

?The new combination technique offers a significant advancement in the treatment of DVT, often allowing the interventional radiologists to break up the clot in one treatment. It has worked on even the largest, most difficult clots and could become the new standard technique, potentially changing the way all DVT patients are treated,? says Mark J. Garcia, M.D., interventional radiologist at Christiana Care Health System, Wilmington, DE.

This treatment worked on the largest, most difficult clots, allowing resolution of DVT quickly and safely while restoring blood flow in the vein. The treatment can reduce the length of a hospital stay, thus reducing costs.

?Post-thrombotic syndrome is a common complication of DVT that is under-recognized and potentially preventable if we are able to dissolve the clots early, before permanent damage to the vein occurs,? says Garcia. ?If we treat these patients within 14 days of their onset of symptoms, we are very successful in clearing the clot. Because the treatment is more rapid, safe and effective, patients are more likely to receive it and prevention of permanent damage is more likely to occur.?


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