A tiny ultrasound device can break up pulmonary embolisms (PEs), according to research presented at this week's International Symposium on Endovascular Therapy (ISET) in Miami Beach, FL.
Researchers from East Jefferson General Hospital in Metairie, LA, treated 27 patients with significant PEs; all patients survived and each benefited from a significant reduction in right heart chamber size, according to ISET. On average, the size of each clot was reduced by more than half.
No bleeding complications were seen in patients who received a lower dose of clot-busting drugs, according to the researchers.
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