Benefits and risks

Information for the public

When NICE looked at the evidence, it decided that there was not enough evidence to know how well this procedure works. The 10 studies that NICE looked at involved a total of 384 patients.

A few studies showed that the procedure may be a bit better at removing clots than the other methods it was compared to. But other studies did not find any benefit in using this procedure compared with other methods. The studies did not all show that using ultrasound makes the treatment quicker, or reduces the dose of drug or the long-term problems caused by deep vein thrombosis, compared with catheter-directed thrombolysis alone.

The studies showed that the risks of the procedure included:

problems during the procedure, including bleeding. Bleeding was not serious in most cases, but 1 patient needed a blood transfusion
problems after the procedure including infection and fever, which was successfully treated with antibiotics
1 patient had a pulmonary embolism (a clot in the lung) several weeks after the procedure
1 patient had temporary nerve damage affecting their foot after the procedure, which got better with time.

If you want to know more about the studies, see the guidance. Ask your health professional to explain anything you don't understand.