Objective: We determined the efficacy of surgery for acute pulmonary thromboembolism with a floating right-heart thrombus.
Methods and results: Thrombi were diagnosed by transthoracic echocardiography and electron beam computed tomography in 4 patients with acute pulmonary thromboembolism with a floating right-heart thrombus, and thromboembolectomy was done in all patients. Surgical procedure included intermittent deep hypothermic circulatory arrest. One patient died of endobronchial hemorrhage and 3 survived.
Conclusion: Because acute pulmonary thromboembolism with a right-heart thrombus is life-threatening, immediate thromboembolectomy is required to decrease mortality.