Single-Session Thrombectomy to Treat Iliofemoral DVT Shows Reduced ICU Costs Versus Thrombolysis

November 2, 2022—In a retrospective review of all patients who underwent thrombectomy and thrombolysis for the treatment of iliofemoral deep vein thrombosis (DVT) at two large medical centers in a 10-year period (2011-2021), investigators sought to compare costs of postprocedure intensive care for patients treated with single-session mechanical thrombectomy versus thrombolysis for DVT, which often requires a double-session procedure.

John Filtes, MD, presented the findings in a Late-Breaking Clinical Trials session at The VEINS conference, hosted by the VIVA Foundation and held October 30-31, 2022, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

As noted in the VIVA Foundation press release, two-session catheter-directed thrombolysis often requires an overnight stay in an intensive care unit (ICU) to monitor for bleeding and a second procedure for stenting. Recently, mechanical thrombectomy devices have been developed that remove the thrombus using a combination of suction techniques without the need for thrombolytics, allowing for stenting in a single session.

The investigators found that thrombolysis was associated with approximately $6,000 of additional intensive care costs compared with single-session thrombectomy. Also, thrombolysis incurred the additional cost of thrombolytics, which were not used for thrombectomy. Future studies will aim to analyze total health care costs associated with treatment of DVT, inclusive of ICU, procedure, and physician costs, advised the investigators in the VIVA Foundation press release.