Surgery

Surgical removal of a clot is called an embolectomy. This type of treatment for pulmonary embolism is rarely used. It is considered for people who cannot have other kinds of treatment or those whose clot is so dangerous that they cannot wait for medicine to work. An embolectomy also may be an option for a person whose condition is stable but who shows signs of significant reduced blood flow in the pulmonary artery.

What to Think About

Surgery increases the risk of forming new blood clots that can cause another pulmonary embolism.