Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis announced on April 13 that a minimally invasive stenting procedure can effectively treat post-thrombotic syndrome, a painful complication following major vein blockages caused by blood clots. The findings were published in the New England Journal of Medicine and presented at the Society of Interventional Radiology's 2026 Annual Scientific Meeting in Toronto.
The study addresses an important need for better treatments for patients who develop post-thrombotic syndrome after deep vein thrombosis. This condition affects many people each year and can lead to significant pain, swelling, skin discoloration, reduced mobility, and sometimes open sores that are hard to heal.
Suresh Vedantham, MD, lead author and professor of radiology at Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology at Washington University School of Medicine, said the research was motivated by the need to help a growing patient population with limited treatment options. "Post-thrombotic syndrome can be life‑altering, yet we've had very few effective treatment options," said Sameer Parpia, PhD, senior author and principal investigator from McMaster University. "This trial provides clear evidence that targeted therapy can make a meaningful difference for patients living with this condition."
The Chronic Venous Thrombosis: Relief with Adjunctive Catheter-Directed Therapy (C-TRACT) Trial enrolled 225 patients across 29 sites in the United States who had previously been treated for deep vein thrombosis but continued to experience significant disability due to iliac vein blockage. Participants were randomly assigned either standard care—which includes compression therapy and blood thinners—or standard care plus placement of a mesh stent through small incisions during a two-to-three-hour operation.
Six months after treatment began, only 40% of those who received stents still suffered from severe post-thrombotic syndrome compared to 61% in the group receiving standard care alone. Patients who underwent stenting also reported improved leg symptoms and higher quality-of-life scores—14 points higher on a standardized scale—than those receiving only conventional therapies.
Vedantham said these results will serve as an important foundation for improving care for individuals suffering from post-thrombotic syndrome by giving physicians more evidence-based options when recommending treatments.
