What Is Catheter-Directed Thrombolysis?
Catheter-directed thrombolysis is performed in a hospital radiology suite by an interventional radiologist. The physician inserts a catheter into a vein in your leg (generally the popliteal vein) and carefully threads it through your veins until it reaches the site of the blood clot. The catheter, which has a small camera on the end of it, allows the doctor to watch the entire procedure on an x-ray video monitor. Once the tip of the catheter reaches the clot, a thrombolytic (clot-dissolving) drug is infused into the clot through the catheter. In most cases, the blood clot will completely dissolve within a few days. This process will be monitored using special x-rays called venograms and ultrasound scans. These images will also allow the doctor to determine if your vein wall is narrowed or damaged, making it prone to more clots in the future. If this type of damage has occurred, your doctor will likely perform a balloon angioplasty or place a small mesh stent into the vein to keep it fr
