Treating Pulmonary Embolism

Medicine

Options include:

• Thrombolytic medicine to dissolve clots, for example:
  • Streptokinase
  • Urokinase
  • Tissue plasminogen activator (TPA)
• Anticoagulant medicine, called blood thinners, such as heparin or warfarin, to prevent more clots from forming

Surgery

In some cases when the blockage is very large, a type of surgery called embolectomy may be done to remove it.

Clot-Trapping Filter

If you have a repeated problem with blood clots, surgery may be performed to place a filter in the main vein that leads from the legs to the heart and lungs. This filter traps clots before they can reach the lungs.