Successful treatment of a pulmonary embolism with low dose of tissue plasminogen activator after thoracic surgery

Acute high-risk or massive pulmonary embolism (PE) is a rare but critical complication occurred after elective pulmonary resection surgery. There are very few data on treatment of postoperative PE after thoracic surgery, and it remains controversial whether systemic thrombolytic agents should be used to treat newly operated patients because of an assumed high risk of hemorrhage. Here, we present 1 case with acute PE and cardiac arrest successfully treated with low-dose prolonged infusion of tissue-type plasminogen activator after a major lung resection.