Pulmonary embolism is associated with significant mortality and remarkably often subject to misdiagnosis, which further adversely affects prognosis. Disease severity and corresponding prognosis are strongly dependent on the risk constellation and determine the therapy. Therefore, we sought to analyse how mechanical thrombectomy influences short term clinical, laboratory, and haemodynamic findings in patients with symptomatic pulmonary artery embolism.

In this study, we retrospectively analysed clinical, laboratory, and haemodynamic parameters in 32 patients with symptomatic pulmonary embolism who underwent mechanical thrombectomy using the FlowTriever device. Only patients with pulmonary embolism confirmed by computed tomography pulmonary angiography and classified as intermediate-high or high risk according to the current European Society of Cardiology guidelines were included. The main outcome measures were periprocedural changes in troponin, lactate, pulmonary artery pressures, and vital signs.

Reductions of increased heart rate, pulmonary arterial pressure, and right ventricle–to–left ventricle ratio were observed immediately after the procedure and in early clinical follow-up, as well as improvement in arterial oxygen saturation and demand. Interventional thrombectomy further resulted in a reduction of increased levels of high-sensitivity troponin and lactate. In summary, the analysis of this study shows consistent respiratory and haemodynamic improvements in line with other published data on mechanical thrombectomy with this device.

Mechanical thrombectomy in patients with pulmonary artery embolism at intermediate-high risk was associated with an immediate and significant decrease in both specific myocardial and systemic biomarkers, for which prognostic relevance has been repeatedly demonstrated.