Introduction
The AngioVac device (AngioDynamics, Latham, NY) is currently approved for suction embolectomy of venous thromboemboli. The AngioVac system consists of a catheter with a funnel-shaped tip connected to a veno-venous (VV) extracorporeal bypass circuit that filters aspirated blood before returning it systemically. The literature documenting its use unanimously reports using a centrifugal pump, as recommended by the manufacturer.1-3 However, roller pumps are an attractive alternative in this situation due to lower cost, especially in resource poor settings or during times of severe equipment shortage. Such a situation occurred at our institution during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. We report the use of a roller pump with the AngioVac device to extract a right atrial (RA) clot-in-transit in a patient with pulmonary embolism (PE) and severe cardiogenic shock.
Informed consent was waived under guidelines set forth by our institution’s Institutional Review Board.