Feasibility of Pulmonary Embolectomy

Abstract

technic for performing pulmonary embo- lectomy for massive pulmonary embolization in 1908, there were few successes until extracorporeal circulation was utilized to support the patient during the operation.The purpose of this report is to describe a patient with massive pulmonary embolism treated successfully by emergency pulmonary embolectomy and to explore the feasibility of surgical inter- vention by reviewing a series of cases of mas- sive pulmonary embolism seen over the past 30 years at Duke Hospital.