ObjectiveTo compare the differences of incidence rate and severity of postthrombotic syndrome (PTS) of patients with lower extremity deep venous thrombosis (DVT) treated by catherter-directed thrombolysis (CDT) or via peripheral vein thrombolysis (PVT).MethodsThe patients with unilateral lower extremity DVT who had received anticoagulant and thrombolytic therapy in the Nanchong Central Hospital from January 2012 to January 2015 were collected. These patients were divided into CDT group and PVT group according to the different thrombolysis methods, and then the thrombolytic rates, thrombolytic complications, and the incidence rate and severity of PTS of 5-year follow up results were calculated and compared.ResultsA total of 137 cases of DVT were collected, 79 in the CDT group and 58 in the PVT group. There were no significant differences in the gender, age, course of disease, thrombus type, and other baseline data between the two groups (P>0.05). The thrombolytic rate of the CDT group was (78.6±16.3)% and PVT group was (27.3±12.1)%, the difference was significant (t=21.14, P<0.001). The rate of thrombolytic complications between the PVT group and CDT group had no statistical significance (32.8% versus 21.5%, χ2=2.18, P=0.134). The 5-year follow up was completed in 116 cases, 74 patients from the CDT group and 42 patients from the PVT group respectively, the result showed that the incidence rate of the PTS in the CDT group was lower than that in the PVT group (35.1% versus 88.1%, χ2=30.28, P<0.001), and theseverity of PTS in the CDT group was milder than that in the PVT group too (Z=16.52,P<0.001).ConclusionFrom the results of this study, CDT is able to increase thrombolytic rate and effectively reduce incidence rate and severity of PTS.