Brandon Hospital launches FDA-approved technique for blood clot removal

The cardiac catheterization laboratory at HCA Florida Brandon Hospital is at the cutting edge of care for blood clots in the heart and lungs. These serious conditions need critical care, and this newly FDA-approved thrombectomy system provides greater precision and adaptability in the venous system.

Before the use of this new thrombectomy system, patients had to have multiple wires navigate through their veins to remove blood clots or undesirable intravascular material, depending on their individual case. Now, this highly steerable mechanical thrombectomy system can transverse veins that are difficult to access due to location, size or shape causing less blood loss and remove blood clots.

“Blood clots in the heart and lungs are serious conditions. We strive to incorporate new procedures as they become approved by the FDA that enable strong patient outcomes within the cardiac catheterization laboratory at Brandon Hospital,” said Dr. Umesh Gowda, interventional cardiologist at Brandon Hospital.

The primary benefit to patients is that this system is more precise in removing clots in the venous system, which can be critical to a positive outcome in cases involving the heart and lungs. The time involved in the procedure is typically shorter, so less anesthesia may be used, and there are fewer risks due to a more streamlined, efficient technique.

This blood clot treatment is used for deep vein thrombosis, which presents as leg pain or swelling in the legs. It can become serious because blood clots can break loose, travel through the bloodstream, and settle in the lungs, blocking blood flow (pulmonary embolism).

It is also used to remove blood clots in the heart's right atrium that need critical care. The right atrium is the heart's upper chamber, which is part of the process of sending deoxygenated blood to the lungs. If a blood clot in the right atrium occurs, it can be life-threatening without medical intervention.

Due to Brandon Hospital’s commitment to the advancement of heart care, which involves blood clot removal, it holds the prestigious three-star (of three stars) overall designation from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS). Only 10% of open-heart programs nationwide achieve this honor for outstanding patient care and outcomes. Brandon Hospital is considered among the elite for general thoracic surgery in the North America.