Interventional Treatment of Deep Vein Thrombosis

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a condition that affects hundreds of thousands of patients each year and treated with anticoagulation therapy alone to stop propagation and embolization of venous thrombus but not remove it. Extensive clinical research over the last 40 years has improved the techniques to remove the thrombus from the affected veins and reduce the likelihood of developing post-thrombotic syndrome. These endovascular treatments includes catheter-directed thrombolysis and recently pharmacomechanical thrombectomy to rapidly fragment, lyse, and remove the thrombus from the affected veins resulting in short treatment time, and improved the quality of life of the patients. This article provides an overview of the interventions available for treating DVT.