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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Itshac Ben-Dor, MD
Valvular Disease Cardiology, Structural Heart Disease Cardiology & Interventional Cardiology
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Eric S. Ginsberg, MD
Interventional Cardiology
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Hayder Dhafir Hashim, MD
Interventional Cardiology
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Scott Michael Katzen, MD
Interventional Cardiology
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Oluwabunmi Oluwayinka, BSN, FNP, MSN
Interventional Cardiology
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David B. Peichert, MD
Interventional Cardiology
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Emidio Puliti, FNP, MSN
Interventional Cardiology
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Sonia Samtani, MD
Interventional Cardiology & Cardiology
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Lowell F. Satler, 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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Srinivas Addala, MD
Interventional Cardiology
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Vivek Bahl, MD
Interventional Cardiology
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Terence Richard Bertele, MD
Interventional Cardiology
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Nancy Jo Davenport, MD
Interventional Cardiology
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Shahid Saeed, MD
Interventional Cardiology
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Rajendra Shetty, MD
Interventional Cardiology
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Our locations
Distance from Change locationEnter your location
MedStar Health: Vascular Surgery at MedStar Good Samaritan Hospital - Smyth Building
5601 Loch Raven Boulevard Smyth Building Ste 303 Baltimore, MD 21239
443-444-3435
MedStar Health: Vascular Surgery at MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center
9101 Franklin Square Dr. MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center Suite 212 Baltimore, MD 21237
443-777-1901
MedStar Health: Vascular Surgery at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital
3800 Reservoir Road Northwest Pasquerilla Healthcare Center Building 4 Washington, DC 20007
877-367-2434
MedStar Health: Vascular Surgery at MedStar Harbor Hospital
3001 South Hanover Street Suite 216 Baltimore, MD 21225
410-261-8226
MedStar Health: Vascular Surgery at MedStar Montgomery Medical Center
18101 Prince Philip Drive Suite 5200 Olney, MD 20832
410-657-1947
MedStar Health: Vascular Surgery at MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital Center
7503 Surratts Road Clinton, MD 20735
301-877-5637
MedStar Health: Vascular Surgery at MedStar St. Mary's Hospital
25500 Point Lookout Road Ste 200 Leonardtown, MD 20650
240-434-4022
MedStar Health: Vascular Surgery at MedStar Union Memorial Hospital - Calvert Street Building
3300 North Calvert Street First Floor Baltimore, MD 21218
410-261-8226
MedStar Health: Vascular Surgery at MedStar Washington Hospital Center - Physician Office Building
106 Irving Street NW Physician Office Bldg. Suite 3150 North Tower Washington, DC 20010
202-877-0456
Insurance
MedStar Health accepts most major health insurance plans. If you are uncertain as to whether your individual health insurance plan is accepted at MedStar Health, please call your insurance company.