Catheter intervention for pulmonary embolism

Thrombolysis is generally accepted in patients with acute massive pulmonary embolism, however, thrombolytic agents could not be fully administrated for cases with a high risk of bleeding. On the other hand, catheter intervention is an optimal treatment for massive pulmonary embolism patients having contraindications for thrombolysis, and is a minimally invasive alternative to surgical embolectomy. It can be performed with a minimum dose of thrombolytic agents or without, and can be combined various procedures including catheter fragmentation or embolectomy in accordance with the extent of thrombus on pulmonary angiogram. Hybrid catheter intervention for massive pulmonary embolism can reduce rapidly heart rate and pulmonary artery pressure, and can improve the gas exchange indices and outcomes.