2025 ESVM Guidelines on interventional treatment of venous thromboembolism.
Clinical practice guideline published in VASA. Zeitschrift fur Gefasskrankheiten (2025)
Abstract
The number of endovascular interventional procedures for catheter-based therapy (CBT) of acute venous thromboembolism (VTE), comprising deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE), has been increasing over the past years. The development of more efficient thrombectomy systems for CBT of VTE has potentially enhanced the efficacy of interventional treatment of VTE. Nevertheless, indications for CBT of VTE, i.e. catheter-directed thrombolysis (CDT) or catheter-based mechanical thrombus removal, need to be established based on existing data and expert consensus. Vascular experts should be involved in the decision-making process on CBTs in patients with acute VTE, and thrombus removal procedures should be performed in centers with experience in interventional treatment of VTE. This guideline document of the European Society of Vascular Medicine (ESVM) provides recommendations on indications and management of CBT in acute VTE and is endorsed by the European national societies of Vascular Medicine.
Abstract sourced from PubMed (NCBI) for the cited record. See the original publication for the authoritative version.
Summary
The 2025 European Society of Vascular Medicine guideline provides consensus recommendations on catheter-based therapy for acute venous thromboembolism, addressing indications, decision-making, and the need for experienced centers when performing catheter-directed thrombolysis or mechanical thrombectomy for deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism.
Why This Matters for Hirudotherapy
This European Society of Vascular Medicine consensus guideline addresses catheter-based therapy (catheter-directed thrombolysis and mechanical thrombus removal) for acute venous thromboembolism, noting that procedure volumes and thrombectomy-system efficiency have grown but that indications still rest on limited data plus expert consensus, and recommending that such procedures occur in experienced centers with vascular-expert input. For ASH, it maps the clinical landscape of acute DVT and pulmonary embolism that motivates research into anticoagulant and thrombolytic agents — the same antithrombotic problem space from which the medicinal-leech secretome (hirudin, calin, destabilase and related fibrinolytic/anti-platelet molecules) is studied as a source of drug-discovery leads. Honest caveat: this is a guideline document summarizing existing evidence and expert opinion, not new trial data, and it concerns device-based and pharmacologic interventions only — it makes no claim about leech therapy or leech-derived compounds, and ASH cites it solely as context for the thrombosis field.
Citation
2025 ESVM Guidelines on interventional treatment of venous thromboembolism.
Schlager O et al. · VASA. Zeitschrift fur Gefasskrankheiten, 2025
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