PERCUTANEOUS ASPIRATION EMBOLECTOMY

Percutaneous aspiration thromboembolectomy (PAT) for management of a s pontaneous arterial embolus, or following a complication of balloon an gioplasty, was initially described in 1984. Instrument developments us ing a new clot aspiration system have facilitated this procedure. We r eport a case where PAT was successful in retrieving a spontaneous arte rial embolus, and describe this new technique. We feel that PAT broade ns the armamentarium of the vascular surgeon in the management of embo li to the distal circulation, where the results for operative embolect omy are frequently less than ideal.