Strong Heart and Vascular Center

Division of Vascular Surgery

Contact Us New & Exisiting Patients If you'd like to schedule an appointment, call us at 585-341-7030. Referring Physicians To refer a patient for a consultation, call us at 585-341-7030.

Pulmonary Embolism

What is Pulmonary Embolism?

When a blood clot that formed in a vein breaks loose and travels through the bloodstream to eventually land in the lungs and block an artery, the condition is called pulmonary embolism.

Prompt treatment of a pulmonary embolism reduces the risk of severe complications, heart damage and death. Usually, pulmonary emboli can be treated with drugs that prevent or dissolve clots. In a severe case, surgery may be necessary.

Learn more about pulmonary embolism

• Causes and risk factors for pulmonary embolism

Symptoms of Pulmonary Embolism

Symptoms of pulmonary embolism can be slight and vary according to the location and severity of the clot. Symptoms may include:

• Shortness of breath (the most common symptom)
• Rapid breathing
• Chest pain (may extend to the shoulder, arm, neck and jaw)
• Coughing up blood
• Lightheadedness and fainting
• Bluish skin tone
• Wheezing

• Chest X-ray
• Electrocardiogram (ECG)
• D-dimer enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)
• Computed axial tomography (CT) scan
• Contrast pulmonary angiography
• Duplex venous ultrasonography
• Leg venography

Treatment Options

Treatments for pulmonary embolism include:

• Medication to prevent clots from growing
• Medication to break down blood clots
• Thrombectomy - removal of a clot through a catheter
• Pulmonary embolectomy - surgical removal of a clot
• Vena cava filter - a filtering device placed in the large abdominal/chest vein (vena cava) to capture traveling clots, preventing them from reaching the lungs
• Medication to thin the blood - to prevent recurrence

For people with a known risk for pulmonary embolism, there are some things that can reduce your chances of getting another blood clot, including:

• Compression stockings - squeeze the leg veins and muscles preventing blood from pooling in the legs and possibly clotting
  
  
• Get up and move around - during long periods of sitting, get up and walk around or if that is not possible, flex and rotate the ankles to help circulation