Maite Velázquez Martín

Background and Objective: Catheter-directed interventions (CDI) for pulmonary embolism (PE) have emerged as alternatives to systemic thrombolysis for patients requiring reperfusion, enabling thrombus burden reduction through low-dose local thrombolysis or mechanical thrombectomy. Despite encouraging hemodynamic and clinical outcomes, procedure-specific complications are poorly characterized in the literature. This narrative review aims to synthesize the reported complications of CDI in acute PE and provide practical management strategies. Methods: A PubMed search covering 2014–2025, limited to articles published in English or Spanish, complemented by reference screening, identified randomized clinical trials and prospective or retrospective registries of CDI in acute PE reporting safety outcomes. These studies were used to construct a comprehensive overview of CDI-related complications, while additional registries, case reports, and case series were examined to describe rare events not captured by primary studies, as well as expert insights when evidence was insufficient or unavailable. Key Content and Findings: Complications of CDI in acute PE encompass a broad and heterogeneous spectrum including access-site complications, right-heart injury, pulmonary arterial lesions, catheter malfunction and mechanical complications, and hemodynamic deterioration. Their incidence varies considerably across studies, and the absence of standardized definitions or classifications limits accurate assessment of the true frequency and clinical impact of those adverse events. Conclusions: Based on the available evidence, this narrative expert review examines the spectrum of CDI-related complications in acute PE. It seeks to bridge the gap between innovation and safety by equipping clinicians and interventionalists with practical guidance for the recognition, prevention, and management of these adverse events.

Pulmonary embolism (PE) presents both acute and chronic complications that significantly affect patient outcomes. Acute complications include syncope or sudden death, often resulting from severe hypoxaemia or right ventricular failure; and early recurrence of the embolic event. Chronic complications, which can develop over time, are often grouped under post-embolic syndrome (PES), a condition affecting more than half of PE survivors. Symptoms of PES include persistent dyspnoea and reduced exercise tolerance. PES is associated with several serious conditions, such as chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension, chronic thromboembolic pulmonary disease, right ventricular dysfunction, physical deconditioning, and psychological harm. Although promising catheter-directed therapies are under investigation for acute PE treatment, their effectiveness in preventing chronic complications has yet to be confirmed by large-scale randomised controlled trials.

The gender gap in interventional subspecialties is largely due to concerns about occupational radiation exposure. The belief that it is not possible to continue working in cath labs during pregnancy is perceived by many female physicians as a barrier to develop their career or fulfill their motherhood wishes. Many physicians are unaware of the doses of ionizing radiation that are harmful for the fetus, which is the dose received by women who continue to work in cath labs throughout their pregnancies, or do not know the existing regulations. The Interventional Cardiology Association of the Spanish Society of Cardiology (ACI-SEC), the Heart Rhythm Association of the Spanish Society of Cardiology (ARC-SEC), the Spanish Society of Vascular and Interventional Radiology (SERVEI), the Spanish Society of Neuroradiology (SENR), the Spanish Society of Medical Radiology (SERAM), and the Society of the Spanish Group of Interventional Neuroradiology (GeNI) consider it necessary to draft this informative document and joint position paper to provide female physicians with the necessary knowledge to make fully informed decisions on whether to choose an interventional subspecialty or work exposed to ionizing radiation during their pregnancy.

Background/Objectives: Ventricular-arterial (VA) coupling, assessed via the TAPSE/PASP ratio, is a well-established prognostic marker in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). However, transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) often fails to estimate the pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP). This study evaluated the prognostic value of TAPSE/PASP when PSAP was obtained both via TEE and RHC and their correlation. Methods: A prospective registry included 90 PAH patients (April 2021–May 2024). TTE and RHC were performed according to clinical guidelines. The correlation and agreement between both techniques were assessed using Spearman’s rank correlation and a Bland–Altman analysis. The prognostic utility of TAPSE/PASP for clinical worsening (CW) (death or lung transplantation) was evaluated using Cox models, Harrell’s c-statistics, and ROC curve analysis. Results: The median interval between TTE and RHC was 1.5 days (range −3 to +43). TAPSE/PASP showed a strong correlation between both techniques (rho = 0.74, p < 0.001), though TTE slightly overestimated values due to PASP underestimation. The PASP correlation was moderate (rho = 0.56, p < 0.001). CW occurred in 17.8% of patients. According to cut-off points established based on ESC/ERS guidelines, VA coupling via TTE effectively stratified the risk of CW (HR 7.0, p = 0.076 and HR 34.8, p = 0.002 for intermediate and high risk, respectively), whereas VA coupling with PASP measured via RHC showed no association with CW. TAPSE/PASP based on TTE demonstrated superior prognostic performance (C-index = 0.81) over RHC-derived parameters (C-index = 0.58). Conclusions: The TAPSE/PASP ratio showed a strong correlation between TTE and RHC. However, while RHC remains the gold standard for hemodynamic assessments, echocardiographic measurements demonstrated superior performance in risk stratification, supporting its role as a valuable non-invasive tool in PAH.

(1) Background: Pulmonary endarterectomy (PEA) is the “gold standard” treatment for operable patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH). Persistent pulmonary hypertension (PH) after PEA confers a worse prognosis. Balloon pulmonary angioplasty (BPA) could represent a useful therapy in this setting, but evidence about its effectiveness and safety in patients with previous PEA is limited. (2) Methods: A total of 14 patients with persistent PH after PEA were treated with BPA in a single PH center. Hemodynamic and clinical effects of BPA and complications of the procedure were retrospectively collected. (3) Results: After BPA, the mean pulmonary arterial pressure fell from 50.7 ± 15.3 mmHg to 38.0 ± 7.9 mmHg (25.0% decrease; 95% confidence interval (CI) 14.0–35.5%; p = 0.01). Pulmonary vascular resistances were reduced from 8.5 ± 3.6 WU to 5.3 ± 2.2 WU (37.6% decrease; 95% CI 18.8–56.5%; p = 0.01). WHO functional class was also improved with BPA. Severe BPA-related complications were infrequent and no periprocedural deaths were observed. (4) Conclusions: BPA is an effective and safe therapy for patients with CTEPH and persistent PH after PEA.