Surgical Embolectomy in Massive Pulmonary Embolism

pp. 521-523

Abstract

Although the usual treatment of massive pulmonary embolism is fibrinolytic therapy, its use is limited under certain circumstances, such as the presence of contraindications or the development of complications, specially bleeding. Non-invasive diagnostic tools currently available allow rapid confirmation of the diagnosis and an appropriate identification of large central clots in the pulmonary trunk or in the main pulmonary branches that can be removed with surgical embolectomy. The best operative outcomes are achieved with early surgery. We describe a patient with massive pulmonary embolism undergoing emergency surgical embolectomy.