. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2019 Sep 1.

Published in final edited form as: Clin Chest Med. 2018 Sep;39(3):569–581. doi: 10.1016/j.ccm.2018.04.011

Table 3.

Catheter-directed therapies

Technique	Description
Thrombolysis	Catheter in main PA, thrombolytic infused. Often combined with mechanical or ultrasound fragmentation to increase surface area of thrombus exposed to thrombolytic.
Fragmentation	Breaking up large, central clot with catheter device; device rotated by operator. Fragments migrate distally. Often combined with local thrombolysis.
Embolectomy	Catheter directed to thrombus and manual suction used to remove thrombus.
Balloon Angioplasty	Compression of embolus. Often combined with local thrombolysis.
Percutaneous Thrombectomy	Clot pulverized and removed via catheter by rotation of device or hydrodynamic vortex.

Abbreviations: PA, pulmonary artery.