Acute arterial closure either from thrombosis or embolization often is a serious and potentially life-threatening clinical problem. Traditional surgical treatment options, such as bypass or balloon embolectomy, are efficacious but their overall clinical success is limited by the significant morbidity and mortality associated with the procedures. The use of less invasive stand-alone thrombolysis is limited by bleeding risk and the inherent delay in restoration of blood flow. Mechanical devices have been developed to help speed percutaneous treatment of arterial occlusion due to clot. Mechanical thrombectomy is best illustrated by rheolytic thrombectomy, which has matured as a therapy for acute limb ischemia. When experienced operators utilize this therapy with other complimentary endovascular devices, they often can allow for successful, less invasive therapy for this patient population at low risk of amputation and death.