New Technology Targets Pulmonary Embolisms at Southside Hospital

Southside Hospital is using a new approach to blood clots in the lungs that shortens a person’s treatment time and lowers the risk of complications.

The EkoSonic Endovascular System is a minimally-invasive option used to break up a pulmonary embolism, which is a blood clot in the lungs. It employs an ultrasound to guide a catheter to the clot and dissolve it more completely and accurately. This is the only endovascular device with approval from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration to treat blood clots in the lungs, according to the company.

“This device, along with the expertise of our team, has helped our patients rest assured that their clot will be targeted and dissolved with fewer side effects than other procedures offer,” said Puneet Gandotra, MD, director of the cardiac catheterization laboratories at Southside Hospital. “'Our pulmonary embolism response team includes members of the cardiothoracic surgery, critical care and pulmonary medicine departments and without a team effort, this program would not have come to fruition.”

LIJ Medical Center in New Hyde Park, North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset and Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan also utilize the EkoSonic Endovascular System.

Photo credit: EkoSonic.