Interventional Management of Venous Thromboembolism: State of the Art.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this article is to describe the indications for and approach to catheter-based treatment of acute venous thromboembolism (VTE).

CONCLUSION: Catheter-based treatment of VTE is a viable adjunct to anticoagulant therapy and is being rapidly adopted around the United States. Early data suggest that these therapies reduce postthrombotic sequelae and improve quality of life, but bleeding events are still frequent, particularly at low-volume centers. Protocols need to be standardized to improve patient care.