En bloc aspiration of a giant lung embolism

Figure 1. Lung embolism before and after aspiration. A) & B) Evidence of right heart dysfunction and lung embolism before procedure. C) The lung embolism after aspiration. D) & E) Post-procedural evidence of improved haemodynamics and absence of the embolus.

A 50-year-old man with a known heterozygous factor V Leiden mutation and a history of deep vein thrombosis (1980 and 2015) underwent abdominal surgery for colorectal carcinoma. Fourteen days after surgery, under prophylactic therapy with 5,000 IU dalteparin o.d., the patient developed dyspnoea and tachycardia. Blood pressure was 100/60 mmHg, heart rate 110/min. ECG showed a typical SIQIII pattern, and computed ...