Health care
BY GRACIE WARHURST
Round Rock hospital first in Texas to use new clot removal catheter technology
Deaths by age associated with pulmonary embolism, 1999-2020 Female Male
35-44 years 25-34 years 2,806 2,261 5,120 45-54 years 15-24 years 1,068 648
A cardiologist at Heart Hospital of Austin at St. David’s Round Rock recently became the first in Texas to perform a new procedure used to treat patients with blood clots in their lungs, according to a July news release. Explained The new thrombectomy catheter system is meant to treat pulmonary embolisms, or a sudden blockage in the pulmonary arteries. It utilizes a flexible tube that a doctor can insert through the leg, into the femoral vein and through the heart into the pulmonary arteries. The catheter system is able to remove the clot by breaking it up and suctioning it out. Dr. Joshua McKay, an interventional cardiologist at the hospital, performed the first procedure in a
phased trial to gain clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Quote of note “Typically, pulmonary embolism is treated with anticoagulation medication, or blood thinners, that help the body break down the clots over time,” McKay told Community Impact . “However, this treatment can take weeks, in some cases. The new thrombectomy system removes clots in an hour or less with a much quicker recovery time.” Zooming out Pulmonary embolism occurs when part of a blood clot in a vein breaks and travels to the lungs. Blood clots affect as many as 900,000 people each year in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control.
6,080
9,759
10,233
55-64 years
13,243
14,996
65-74 years
17,821
17,205
75-84 years
24,779
17,947
SOURCE: CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION/COMMUNITY IMPACT
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