Review: Endovascular therapy is the safest, most effective treatment for superior vena cava syndrome
Like a blocked water line, obstructions in blood vessels in the human circulatory system can cause serious problems. This is especially the case in superior vena cava syndrome (SVCS), in which oxygen-depleted blood returning from the head, upper chest, and arms is partially or completely prevented from reaching the heart. The result, however, is far more serious than the inconvenience of low water pressure from a clogged pipe - SVCS requires immediate attention.
Each year, some 15,000 people in the United States are affected by SVCS, symptoms of which include facial swelling, difficulty breathing, chest pain, mental confusion, and sometimes coma. A tumor compressing the superior vena cava vessel is the most common cause, but the condition can also result from intravascular devices, such as catheters and pacemakers, that may compress or obstruct the vessel.