There has been a resurgence of interest in defining the optimal treatment for severe pulmonary embolism (PE), fueled by pivotal and provocative trials, new catheter-based medical devices, and growing evidence of deleterious short- and long-term outcomes. In this environment, and especially given the multidisciplinary nature of PE care, the interventional radiologist (IR) needs to become an astute, disease-specific expert. This review article describes the following "steps" an IR can take to reach this level: (1) understand PE stratification and epidemiology; (2) recognize the treatment goals for massive PE; (3) recognize the wide range of attitudes toward therapeutic escalation for submassive PE; (4) recognize what we do not know about the treatment of submassive PE and the limitations of current studies; (5) know the literature surrounding inferior vena cava filter insertion for severe PE; (6) integrate into the longitudinal care of the patient; and (7) be at the leading edge of new trials and technologies.
Keywords: catheter-directed thrombolysis; inferior vena cava filters; massive pulmonary embolism; submassive pulmonary embolism.