Prompt action by doctors at Mediclinic Parkview Hospital saved 42-year-old Melissa Lindley who suffered from respiratory arrest after her pulmonary arteries were completely blocked with a pulmonary embolus.
She was in a critical condition when she walked in with her oxygen saturation down to 45 per cent and her right ventricle failing and dilating. Lindley, who was recovering from surgery, could not receive traditional clot busting medication intravenously because of the higher risk of bleeding from her fresh wounds.
Instead, a new and cutting-edge surgical intervention based on ultrasonic fragmentation of pulmonary arterial embolism and direct thrombolysis was successfully undertaken by Dr Ahmad Mustafa, Consultant Interventional Cardiologist, using the EKOS device (Boston Scientific).
EKOS therapy is a minimally invasive system for dissolving thrombus. The ultrasonic core generates an acoustic field, which greatly accelerates lytic dispersion by driving the drug deeper into the clot and unwinding the fibrin to expose plasminogen receptor sites. “It was true team work that helped her through this hard time with the emergency doctors, anaesthetists and intensive care unit consultants working together swiftly to ensure her full recovery,” said Dr Mustafa. Lindley was strong and focused throughout this ordeal and is back recovering at home with her family.”
