Courtesy photo.

MemorialCare Heart & Vascular Institute at Long Beach Medical Center is participating in the STRIKE-PE study – designed to evaluate real-world functional outcomes, safety, and performance of computer-aided mechanical aspiration thrombectomy with the Indigo Aspiration System for the treatment of pulmonary embolism

A pulmonary embolism is a serious condition where a blood clot gets stuck in an artery in the lungs, making it more difficult for the lungs to provide oxygen to the rest of the body. In this study, a mechanical aspiration thrombectomy uses a catheter-like vacuum to remove blood clots.

“Pulmonary embolism is a very serious condition and must be treated quickly and effectively in order to save someone’s life,” says David Shavelle, M.D., chief of cardiology, MemorialCare Heart & Vascular Institute; medical director, Adult Cardiology & Interventional Lab, MemorialCare Heart & Vascular Institute, Long Beach Medical Center, who is one of the principal investigators of the STRIKE-PE study. “About one-third of patients with an undiagnosed and untreated pulmonary embolism don’t survive.”

Penumbra’s Indigo® Aspiration System is a minimally invasive, computer-assisted device designed to remove clots from arteries and veins to help restore blood flow in pulmonary embolism cases. This device is able to remove difficult-to-access, life-threatening clots, and help reduce patients’ need for thrombolytics, or “clot-busting” drugs.

“Being a part of this study has been an amazing opportunity,” says Dr. Shavelle “Benefits of using the Indigo Aspiration System include quicker clot detection and quicker patent flow detection to help reduce blood loss, helping patients get back to their lives quicker,” says Dr. Shavelle.

The STRIKE-PE study initially called for 600 patients to be treated with the Indigo Aspiration System and assessed after treatment. Now, enrollment for the study has increased to 1,500 patients, with 480 patients currently enrolled. Patients are eligible to enroll if they are over the age of 18 and have an acute pulmonary embolism.

“MemorialCare Heart & Vascular Institute at Long Beach Medical Center currently has 23 patients enrolled in this study, making us the sixth highest enroller in the study,” says Dr. Shavelle. “It’s exciting to know our team here at Long Beach Medical Center has a large role in a national study helping find better ways to treat patients with pulmonary embolism.”

Long Beach Medical Center is a leader in research and innovative minimally invasive approaches to repair cardiac disease. It has been named by Healthgrades® as a Five-Star Recipient for Treatment of Heart Failure for two Years in a Row (2023-2024) and scored high performance rankings for Heart Attack and Heart Failure by U.S. News & World Report in 2024.

Want to learn more about the STRIKE-PE study and other research studies at MemorialCare? Visit memorialcare.org/research.