Dr. Peter Lin, a vascular surgeon at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, first began using the AngioJet System to de-clot arteriovenous grafts in dialysis patients approximately six years ago. For the past three years, he has been conducting clinical studies for the treatment of DVT and pulmonary embolism. In a change from normal procedure, he first adjusts the AngioJet System so that it infuses lytic drugs directly into the thrombus, a technique called Power Pulse Spray, significantly shortening treatment time. "It intrinsically makes sense to utilize the unique physics of the AngioJet System to forcefully deliver thrombolytic drugs directly to the blood clots to help dissolve them more quickly. Historically, patients with DVT have been treated with traditional thrombolysis, typically involving a stay in the intensive care unit (ICU) of 24 to 36 hours.

Most of our procedures, using the AngioJet System to spray the thrombus directly with clot-busting drugs and then to break up and extract the clot material, take about 45 minutes. By effectively removing DVT in one setting, patients are more comfortable and more satisfied with the process. Patients don’t have to incur the cost of a stay in the ICU. And, we have the immediate benefit of reducing the likelihood of pulmonary embolism, the greatest risk to patients. We also need to treat the underlying condition since untreated DVT can also result in post-thrombotic syndrome resulting from damage to venous valves, which can cause chronic, or acute leg pain. There is no question that pharmacomechanical thrombectomy will become the standard of care for DVT."