Treatment. A person who has a pulmonary embolism needs to be hospitalized to support the functioning of their heart, lungs and blood vessels. In the hospital they will be given supplemental oxygen and drugs that can dissolve the clot and keep new clots from recurring. Rarely, people with pulmonary embolisms undergo surgery. This is called an embolectomy and is done to remove the blood clot. The doctor may also insert a filter into the patient’s vena cava, the largest vein in the body. This filter traps clots before they can reach the heart or the lungs. Even after they leave the hospital, the patient may need to take anticoagulants, or blood thinning drugs for a long time to prevent clots from recurring. They may also need to take drugs that dissolve clots.
