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World J Radiol. Nov 28, 2013; 5(11): 430-435
Published online Nov 28, 2013. doi: 10.4329/wjr.v5.i11.430
Published online Nov 28, 2013. doi: 10.4329/wjr.v5.i11.430
New generation aspiration catheter: Feasibility in the treatment of pulmonary embolism
Wolf E Heberlein, Mollie E Meek, Omar Saleh, James C Meek, Shelly Y Lensing, William C Culp, Department of Radiology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72223, United States
Author contributions: Culp WC supervised the project; Heberlein WE performed the research and wrote the paper; Lensing SY performed the biostatistics; all authors discussed and interpreted the results and implications and commented on the manuscript at all stages.
Correspondence to: Wolf E Heberlein, MD, Department of Radiology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 W Markham Street, Slot #556, Little Rock, AR 72223, United States. weheberlein@uams.edu
Telephone: +1-501-6866901 Fax: +1-501-6866900
Received: August 18, 2013
Revised: October 18, 2013
Accepted: November 2, 2013
Published online: November 28, 2013
Revised: October 18, 2013
Accepted: November 2, 2013
Published online: November 28, 2013
Core Tip
Core tip: We present a new aspiration catheter for use in pulmonary embolism (PE) (Pronto .035” and XL extraction catheter, Vascular Solutions, Minneapolis, MN) in a case series of ten patients. The aspiration catheter allowed fast thrombus removal and lowered mean pulmonary artery pressure. No peri-procedural complications occurred, but high 30-d mortality remained. Catheter based aspiration embolectomy should be considered in acute symptomatic PE, since it is fast and does not require additional special equipment, thus signifying a widely applicable technique. Aspiration embolectomy should be included in further trials treating symptomatic PE.