A UK patient has become the first in the world to be treated using a new clot-removing device.
Jackie Field, from Eltham in south-east London, was diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis and had the procedure at St Thomas' Hospital in November last year.
The device is inserted into the vein and catches the clot in a 'basket' before using suction and a rotation motion to physically pull it out.
Its creators said the device could save the NHS money and cut down how much time patients spend in hospital.
Jackie Field, 55, pictured with her son, Alex, was the first person to have a blood clot removed from her leg using the pioneering technology which uses a wire passed into the vein
Ms Field, a mother-of-two, developed a clot following an operation to repair an internal tear in her abdomen at Woolwich Hospital in November.
The 55-year-old noticed swelling in her leg a few weeks after returning home and was transferred to St Thomas' Hospital.
She could not be treated with drugs that break up the clot or thin the blood, and was instead offered the chance to take part in a trial of the new device made by Vetex Medical.
The procedure was carried out by Stephen Black, a consultant vascular surgeon at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust in London.
'The potential consequences of leaving deep vein thrombosis in the leg rather than removing it are very bad for patients,' he said.
'They can go on to develop post-thrombotic syndrome which is a long-term condition that can cause severe pain, mobility problems and, in some cases, ulceration.
'For patients like Jackie who can't be treated with conventional techniques involving drugs, it's vital to have another treatment option.'
The Vetex Thrombectomy Catheter is inserted into the vein and guided to the affected area in the patient.
Its 'basket' is then deployed and expanded so that it touches both sides.
The combination of a rotating action and suction allows surgeons to pull large blood clots from the walls of the vein and remove them.
