SIR newsroom

FAIRFAX, Va. (April 4, 2024)—Society of Interventional Radiology President Robert J. Lewandowski, MD, FSIR, issued the following statement on the role of interventional radiologists in treating May-Thurner syndrome following the recent successful treatment of Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo.

May-Thurner syndrome (also known as iliac vein compression syndrome, ilio-caval compression syndrome, or Cockett syndrome) is when the right iliac artery (the main artery to the right leg) rests on top of the left iliac vein (the main vein in the left leg), causing pressure and abnormal blood flow. Often, May-Thurner syndrome goes undiagnosed until a blood clot, such as a deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or pulmonary embolism (PE), forms causing an urgent or emergent situation.

Interventional radiologists are board-certified, primary specialty physicians who can both diagnose and treat May-Thurner Syndrome. Interventional radiologists have the required knowledge of imaging, vascular anatomy, endovascular techniques, and longitudinal clinical care to manage these patients. Interventional radiologists provide minimally invasive therapies with x-ray guidance using only a small incision in the skin.

The treatment Rep. Boebert received included an intervention to remove the clot and then placement of a stent. Stents are typically placed if a stenosis, or narrowing of the veins, is found after treating the blood clot. A stent is a tiny expandable metallic tube that props open the vein to facilitate blood flow and prevent the vein from narrowing again.

Interventional radiologists may offer various forms of therapy for blood clots, including:

• Thrombolysis, which deploys a catheter inside the vessel to deliver clot-melting medication, called tissue plasminogen activator (TPA), directly into the blood clot.
• Mechanical thrombectomy, in which the interventional radiologist guides a medical device in the form of a catheter through a vein to the clot site. Once there, the doctor uses the device to mechanically break up or fragment the clot into smaller pieces which can be readily removed through the same device.
• Inferior vena cava (IVC) filter placement, which acts like a small net, allowing for normal blood flow, but catching any traveling blood clots, preventing a clot from moving to the lungs. Often used for those who cannot tolerate other treatments, most IVC filters will be removed once the blood clot has cleared or when the patient can begin taking blood thinners to treat the clot.

To learn more about how interventional radiologists treat venous diseases and other diseases without surgery, visit sirweb.org/patients.

Media contact information

Elise Grant
SIR Director, Communications and Public Relations
Phone: (703) 460-5572 
Email: egrant@sirweb.org