Gerd Grözinger (Tübingen, Germany) chats with Bernhard Gebauer (Berlin, Germany) at the Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiological Society of Europe (CIRSE) 2022 annual meeting (10–14 September, Barcelona, Spain) about some of the difficulties associated with treating patients with pulmonary embolism (PE) and deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Gebauer states that “the options we have at the moment with either anticoagulation or lysis are very limited”. One of the problems with systemic thrombolysis for example, explains Gebauer, is that “you could have some complications” with the high dose, in addition to the fact that lysis “is contraindicated in a lot of patients”.
Grözinger agrees with Gebauer that the age of the thrombus is very important. Asked about the perfect time window to treat those with DVT, Grözinger states that “in the old days we had to tell our patients that beyond two to four weeks there is no chance of getting rid of the clot”. However, “this strict timeframe can be overcome with new technology like the ClotTriever (Inari Medical) which can address thrombus of various ages” and ultimately “extend our treatment window”, he adds. The pair conclude by discussing which patients benefit most from interventional treatment for DVT or PE.
This video is sponsored by Inari Medical.
