{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,1]],"date-time":"2026-10-01T12:13:18Z","timestamp":1790856798705,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":36,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"7","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,29]],"date-time":"2026-03-29T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1774742400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JCM"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: Postoperative patients are at risk of pulmonary embolism. They typically exhibit multiple contributing factors such as comorbidities, immobility, blood loss, increased hematocrit, dehydration, long hospital stays, and a higher bleeding risk. PE management in this vulnerable group is challenging. Although current guidelines provide differing recommendations, many clinical questions remain unanswered. Decisions regarding periprocedural anticoagulation management must balance the thromboembolic and procedural higher bleeding risks. In addition, a recent major surgery is an absolute contraindication to systemic thrombolysis. Small doses of local lytics or a mechanical percutaneous embolectomy in the era of catheter-based therapy may be a safer option. However, the safety and efficacy of CDT have not been evaluated in this particular PE-vulnerable population. Methods: We performed a retrospective study of 35 postoperative patients with intermediate\u2013high-risk PE treated with the EkoSonic Endovascular System. Operative bleeding risk, different management modalities, and post-PE-therapy presumptive complications were assessed before PE treatment. Results: Procedural success was achieved in 100% of cases. We observed a marked improvement in clinical and PE hemodynamics. One major bleeding, defined as life-threatening, required surgical intervention; four moderate bleedings, defined as bleeding without hemodynamic compromise, required intervention such as drainage. Minor bleeding was managed conservatively. Conclusions: Catheter-directed therapies may be an alternative to systemic reperfusion therapies for selected postoperative intermediate\u2013high-risk PE-vulnerable populations.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/jcm15072600","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,30]],"date-time":"2026-03-30T08:22:36Z","timestamp":1774858956000},"page":"2600","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Safety and Efficacy of Ultrasound-Accelerated Endovascular Lysis in Postoperative Patients with Intermediate\u2013High-Risk Pulmonary Embolism: A Retrospective Two-Center Study"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3315-4167","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Abdelrahman","family":"Elhakim","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Schoen Hospital, 23730 Neustadt in Holstein, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Martin","family":"Knauth","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Schoen Hospital, 23730 Neustadt in Holstein, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4533-160X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mohamed","family":"Elhakim","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Intensive Care Medicine Department, The Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, 50 Missenden Rd, Camperdown, Sydney, NSW 2050, Australia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Osama","family":"Bisht","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Coswig Heart Center, 06869 Coswig, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jan-Erik","family":"Guelker","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Cardiology Department, Petrus Hospital, 42283 Wuppertal, Germany"},{"name":"Cardiology Department, University Witten\/Herdecke, 58455 Witten, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8003-9591","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Hani","family":"Al-Terki","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Cardiology Department, Petrus Hospital, 42283 Wuppertal, Germany"},{"name":"Cardiology Department, University Witten\/Herdecke, 58455 Witten, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,29]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"543","DOI":"10.1093\/eurheartj\/ehz405","article-title":"2019 ESC Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of acute pulmonary embolism developed in collaboration with the European Respiratory Society (ERS): The Task Force for the diagnosis and management of acute pul-monary embolism of the","volume":"41","author":"Konstantinides","year":"2020","journal-title":"Eur. 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