Using a jet of saline to break up a blood clot
Rheolytic thrombectomy is a minimally invasive procedure to break up blood clots. The treatment may be used after a pulmonary embolism or as an alternative to clot-busting drugs after a heart attack.
During this procedure, your doctor will guide a thin, flexible tube known as a catheter through a blood vessel to the site of the clot. A special pump will deliver a high-pressure jet of saline to the tip of the catheter. This creates a vacuum that breaks the clot into fragments and suctions the fragments out of the artery.
Conditions
A blood clot that typically affects the legs and arms and can travel through the bloodstream to the heart, lungs, or brain and cause a stroke or pulmonary embolism.
Venous thrombosis occurs when a blood clot forms in your veins.
A pulmonary embolism is a blockage in one of the lungs’ arteries. It’s usually caused by a deep vein thrombosis, a blood clot in the legs or arms that travels to the lungs.
Tests
Arterial Duplex Ultrasound for Arms and Legs
Arterial duplex ultrasound uses Doppler and traditional ultrasound to assess blood flow in the arteries of your arms and legs.
Chest X-ray
Chest X-rays use a small dose of radiation to create pictures of the structures inside the chest, including the lungs, heart, and chest wall.
Computerized Tomography (CT) Scan
The cardiac computed tomography scan, or cardiac CT, uses X-rays to create three-dimensional images of your heart and blood vessels.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
Magnetic resonance imaging, better known as cardiac MRI, is a combination of radio waves, magnets and computer technology to create images of your heart and blood vessels.
Our providers
Location: Change location Enter your location
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Nelson L. Bernardo, MD
Interventional Cardiology
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Brian Christopher Case, MD
Cardiology, Interventional Cardiology & Internal Medicine
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Robert Anthony Gallino, MD
Interventional Cardiology
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Roy Harel Leiboff, MD
Interventional Cardiology
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Oluwabunmi Oluwayinka, FNP
Interventional Cardiology
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David B. Peichert, MD
Interventional Cardiology
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Emidio Puliti, FNP-C
Interventional Cardiology
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Lowell F. Satler, MD
Valvular Disease Cardiology, Structural Heart Disease Cardiology & Interventional Cardiology
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Jessica V Stehman, PA-C
Interventional Cardiology
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Nardos Temesgen, MD
Interventional Cardiology
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Ron Waksman, MD
Valvular Disease Cardiology, Structural Heart Disease Cardiology & Interventional Cardiology
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John Chung-Yee Wang, MD
Valvular Disease Cardiology, Structural Heart Disease Cardiology & Interventional Cardiology
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Terence Bertele, MD
Interventional Cardiology
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Nancy Jo Davenport, MD
Interventional Cardiology
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Rajendra R. Shetty, MD
Interventional Cardiology
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Asmir I. Syed, MD
Interventional Cardiology
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Our locations
Distance from Change locationEnter your location
MedStar Union Memorial Hospital
201 E. University Pkwy. Baltimore, MD 21218
MedStar St Mary's Hospital
25500 Point Lookout Rd. Leonardtown, MD 20650
MedStar Washington Hospital Center
110 Irving St. NW Washington, DC 20010
MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital Center
7503 Surratts Rd. Clinton, MD 20735
MedStar Georgetown University Hospital
3800 Reservoir Rd. NW Washington, DC, 20007
MedStar Montgomery Medical Center
18101 Prince Philip Dr. Olney, MD 20832
Ask MedStar Heart & Vascular Institute
Have general questions for our heart and vascular program? Email us at AskMHVI@medstar.net. If you have clinically-specific questions, please contact your physician’s office.