Short-Term Catheter-Directed Thrombolysis with Low-Dose Urokinase Followed by Aspiration Thrombectomy for Treatment of Symptomatic Lower Extremity Deep Venous Thrombosis

To evaluate the venous patency in patients treated by catheter-directed thrombolysis with low-dose urokinase (UK) for symptomatic lower extremity deep venous thrombosis (DVT). Eighty-nine consecutive patients (46 women and 43 men; mean age, 58.1 years), treated by catheter-directed thrombolysis with low-dose UK were included in this study. Immediate venous patency was evaluated in terms of technical success (successful restoration of antegrade in-line flow in the treated vein with residual stenosis rate of less than 30%) and clinical success (significant reduction of clinical symptoms before hospital discharge). Late venous patency was evaluated in terms of primary patency rate and clinical success. Immediate technical success was achieved in all patients and immediate clinical success in 80 (90%) patients. There was no major systemic bleeding complication. The primary patency rate at 6 months and 12 months was 84% and 79%, respectively. Fifty-six (63%) patients were asymptomatic after a median clinical follow-up of 18 months, eleven (12%) patients improved moderately, seven (8%) patients remained unchanged, and fifteen (17%) patients had no clinical follow-up. Short-term catheter-directed thrombolysis with low-dose UK can be an effective, safe method to manage DVT of the lower extremities.