Latest Data Show Patients Managed with Penumbra’s CAVT^™ Technology for Lower Extremity Venous Thrombus Experience Shorter Hospital Stays

Recently presented data has far-reaching implications on the potential for Penumbra’s computer assisted vacuum thrombectomy (CAVT^™) technology to have a positive impact on healthcare economics. The research shows that patients who are managed with Penumbra’s CAVT experience shorter hospital stays and are more likely to be discharged to home than patients who are managed with anticoagulation (AC) alone. The CAVT patients were also less likely to require long-term care, admission to a skilled nursing facility, or post-discharge home health support. 

The data was presented at the Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR) Annual Scientific Meeting in Nashville.

“We found that patients who underwent CAVT were much more likely to go home than into extended subacute rehab or nursing homes, and that represents a significant reduction in cost,” said lead author, Dr. Kush Desai, M.D. of Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. “It also suggests that these patients have less post-thrombotic syndrome (PTS), which is an indirect but frankly strong way of showing that there’s a real material impact on quality of life.”

Patients with lower extremity venous thrombus can face serious complications, including PTS. And because lower extremity venous thrombus patients trend younger, those complications tend to increase costs and affect quality of life over a long time horizon.¹

An estimated 20% to 50% of patients with lower-extremity venous thrombus experience PTS, which can have a significant impact on quality of life, causing pain, cramping, chronic functional disability, and paresthesiae, among other effects.² The management of patients who develop PTS has also been associated with a substantial economic burden, with one estimate suggesting a median cost to the healthcare system of $20,569 per patient.² Lower extremity venous thrombus patients may also develop venous leg ulcers, which can double baseline healthcare costs and increase work-loss costs by 29%.³

Dr. Desai and his colleagues conducted the retrospective analysis to describe and compare healthcare resource use and outcomes of patients with iliofemoral venous thrombus managed with CAVT (Lightning® 12 and Lightning Flash®) versus anticoagulation (AC) alone using deidentified data from 808 inpatient adults. Sg2, a Vizient company, used propensity score matching to balance the CAVT and AC groups at a 1:1 ratio using demographics, payer, and hospital type as covariates and completed the analysis.

The results showed that CAVT was associated with:

• 17% shorter total hospital length of stay⁴
• 40% higher rate of patients discharged home⁴
• Half the likelihood of needing long-term care and/or a skilled nursing facility⁴
• Significantly fewer CAVT patients needing post-discharge home health support⁴
• Comparable safety outcomes⁴

In the study, CAVT was associated with improvement in contribution margin relative to anticoagulation alone. The researchers provided an illustrative example of a 600+ bed community hospital. By managing 10% more patients with advanced therapies like CAVT, this case hospital could see up to a 70% gain in profitable contribution margin — representing thousands of dollars more per patient compared to anticoagulation alone. Those funds could then be reinvested to improve disease state awareness and implement effective disease management algorithms. Associated reduction in hospital resource burden can also lead to improved staff retention and satisfaction.^4,a

Important Safety Information

Additional information about Penumbra’s products can be located on Penumbra’s website at https://www.penumbrainc.com/products/peripheral-thrombectomy-cavt/. The clinical results presented herein are for informational purposes only and may not be predictive for all patients. Individual results may vary depending on patient-specific attributes and other factors. Caution: Federal (USA) law restricts these devices to sale by or on the order of a physician. Prior to use, please refer to Instructions for Use (IFU) for complete product indications, contraindications, warnings, precautions, potential adverse events, and detailed instructions for use. For the complete Penumbra IFU Summary Statements, visit: peninc.info/risk. Please contact your local Penumbra representative for more information.

Copyright ©2025 Penumbra, Inc. All rights reserved. CAVT, Lightning, and Lightning Flash are registered trademarks or trademarks of Penumbra, Inc. in the USA and other countries.

<sup>1. Ashrani AA, Heit JA. Incidence and cost burden of post-thrombotic syndrome. J Thromb Thrombolysis. 2009 Nov;28(4):465-76. doi: 10.1007/s11239-009-0309-3. Epub 2009 Feb 18.
2. Rabinovich A, Kahn SR. The postthrombotic syndrome: current evidence and future challenges. Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis. 2017;15(2):230-241. doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/jth.13569
3. Rice, J. B., Desai, U., Cummings, A. K. G., Birnbaum, H. G., Skornicki, M., & Parsons, N. (2014). Burden of venous leg ulcers in the United States. Journal of Medical Economics,17(5), 347–356. https://doi.org/10.3111/13696998.2014.903258
4. Desai K, Hoots G, Ryu RK, et al. Computer-assisted vacuum thrombectomy vs. anticoagulation for iliofemoral deep vein thrombosis management: a comparative analysis of hospital and post-hospital outcomes. Presented at: SIR (Society of Interventional Radiology) 2025; Nashville, TN.
a. Case example shown from a large community hospital’s data gathered from Vizient CDB. The average reimbursement, based on annual lower extremity venous thrombus claims, was calculated at $5,452,512 for CAVT and $1,686,048 for anticoagulation. The hospital’s average reimbursement rate per CAVT lower extremity venous thrombus case was compared to the average reimbursement rate per anticoagulation lower extremity venous thrombus case. The cost of expenses (including general routine care; accommodations; med surge supplies; pharmacy, OR lab, or other services; and other surgical services) was subtracted from both reimbursement amounts to provide an estimated net income per case which was multiplied by 156 (10% of example hospital’s annual lower extremity venous thrombus case load). The difference between these totals reflects the estimated contribution margin for an increased 10% of patients managed with CAVT vs. an increased 10% of patients managed with anticoagulation. Data on file at Penumbra, Inc.</sup>