Charleston, SC - On Wednesday February 19, Trident Medical Center became the first hospital in South Carolina to perform a endovascular large burden blood clot removal. Juanita Jackson, 56, became the first patient in South Carolina to have this procedure.
The surgery was led by James Benner, MD of Palmetto Cardiovascular & Thoracic Associates and Joseph Mullaney, MD of Imaging Specialists of Charleston. A team of clinicians from both the cardiovascular operating room and the interventional radiology suite were also a vital part of this operation.
Jackson could have had an open surgical procedure but chose to undergo this new minimally invasive procedure using a device called AngioVac, which vacuumed the massive clot out of her inferior vena cava. The team of Dr. Benner and Dr. Mullaney were able to remove the blood clot in just a few hours. Mrs. Jackson was discharged from Trident Medical Center just two days after her surgery. Since returning she has continued to do well and has returned to her normal daily activities.
“The AngioVac device/system allows us to pass a catheter into the inferior venous cava, pulmonary artery or heart to suction and remove large amounts of clot from the venous system,” states Dr. Benner. This technology removes the clot in a timely and safe manner from the venous system of the affected patient. Some patients do not have the time or ability to tolerate the traditional options which include thrombolytic therapy and other surgical procedures due to their personal heath situation. Clot removal removes the pain, heart strain, respiratory distress, and fatigue these patients may be experiencing.