[Thromboendarterectomy of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension]

Ugeskr Laeger. 1997 Oct 6;159(41):6079-81.
[Article in Danish]

Abstract

Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension has a five year survival rate of less than 10% in patients with a systolic pulmonary artery pressure of 50 mmHg with no convincing effect of medical treatment. The operative mortality from pulmonary thrombendarterectomy in specialised centres has been reduced to 9%, suggesting this treatment as being an option. The results from thrombendarterectomy of two Danish patients are reported. The first patient, a 34 year-old woman was operated at the centre in San Diego with the assistance of a Danish thoracic surgeon. The second, a 60 year-old man was operated at our institution by this surgeon. Following removal of sufficient amount of embolic masses and intimal tissue, the patients were discharged from hospital with a substantial improvement in their clinical status and near normalisation of pulmonary artery pressure, which remained at the latest follow-up (3 to 22 months).

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • English Abstract

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Chronic Disease
  • Endarterectomy / methods*
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Humans
  • Hypertension, Pulmonary / complications
  • Hypertension, Pulmonary / diagnosis
  • Hypertension, Pulmonary / surgery*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Pulmonary Embolism / complications
  • Pulmonary Embolism / diagnosis
  • Pulmonary Embolism / surgery*