ABSTRACT
Surgical pulmonary embolectomy has played a central role in the history of cardiac surgery. It was one of the first cardiac surgical procedures performed in humans and inspired the development of the heart-lung machine, the cornerstone of modem cardiac surgery. Despite its historical importance and the fact that its modern version was developed 40 years ago, its role in the management of patients with acute pulmonary embolism (PE) has been controversial. This controversy has persisted despite major advances in the safety and availability of cardiac surgery, our understanding of the biology of thomboembolic disease, and the emergence of alternative therapies such as thrombolysis and catheter-based embolectomy.
