Surgical Management of Acute Pulmonary Thromboembolism: our Experience

Abstract

Acute pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) can be a life threatening complication of deep vein thrombosis. Surgical embolectomy is a rarely performed and is only reserved for hemodynamically unstable patients, those with massive pulmonary thromboembolism and those with failed thrombolysis therapy. We reviewed the results of surgical pulmonary embolectomy performed in our institute over the last four years. Data was retrospectively studied of 28 patients who underwent pulmonary embolectomy in our institute over the last four years i.e. from 2012 to 2016. Demographic data, clinical presentation and outcomes were analyzed. Clinical presentation included dyspnea (82%), hemodynamic instability requiring continuous vasopressor support (36%), echocardiographic evidence of right ventricular dilatation (82%). There was 3% mortality rate in our study which is comparably low with previous studies. Our series implies the benefit of early consideration and performance of pulmonary embolectomy in these critically ill patients.