Cardiovascular Institute of the South (CIS) interventional cardiologist Niksad Abraham, MD, recently used the Inari Medical FlowTriever® System for the treatment of a clot-in-transit (CIT) in the right atrium of the heart. The procedure took place on Feb. 18 at Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center in Baton Rouge.
CIT is life-threatening condition which occurs when blood clots (usually from the legs) break loose and travel through the bloodstream to the right heart. FlowTriever® removes large clots from large vessels without the need for clot-busting drugs or intensive-care stay. The device disrupts and aspirates clot using nitinol mesh disks and large lumen aspiration catheters to rapidly remove clots and restore blood flow. The procedure offers patients immediate symptom relief and is typically completed in one hour under conscious sedation.
In the U.S. annually, 25,000 patients are diagnosed with right atrial CIT, and the condition is associated with a high mortality rate of over 80% if left untreated. If a clot-in-transit makes its way through the heart and into the lungs, it is considered a pulmonary embolism (PE). This blockage restricts blood flow to the lungs and puts strain on the right side of the heart as it is unable to push blood passed the clot. In severe cases, the right heart may fail and lead to a fatal event. Pulmonary embolism is the third leading cause of cardiovascular death with almost one million patients diagnosed annually in the U.S.
“For patients, this is a safer, less-invasive option for the treatment of a traveling clot before it lodges in the pulmonary arteries and causes symptoms,” said Abraham. “There is lower bleeding risk and a quicker recovery time.”
The most common treatment for blood clots includes blood thinner medications and “clot busting” drugs. However, blood thinners only prevent new clots from forming and will not actively break down existing clots. While “clot busting” drugs may help the body dissolve clots, they come with a high-risk of bleeding and require an intensive-care stay.