Clinical Trial
2001 Jan 2;103(1):10-3.
JOURNAL:Circulation.
Article Link

Balloon pulmonary angioplasty for treatment of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension
Feinstein JA, Goldhaber SZ, Lock JE et al.

KEYWORDS
Balloon pulmonary angioplasty; chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension


BACKGROUNDAlthough pulmonary thromboendarterectomy is increasingly successful for the definitive treatment of chronicthromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH), not all patients have surgically accessible disease. Others are poor surgical candidates because of comorbid illness. Therefore, for selected patients, we defined and implemented an alternative interventional strategy of balloon pulmonary angioplasty (BPA).

METHODS AND RESULTSEighteen patients (mean age, 51.8 years; range, 14 to 75 years) with CTEPH underwent BPA; they averaged 2.6 procedures (range, 1 to 5) and 6 dilations (range, 1 to 12). Selection of pulmonary artery segments for dilation required (1) complete occlusion, (2) filling defects, or (3) signs of intravascular webs. After an average of 36 months of follow-up (range, 0.5 to 66 months), the average New York Heart Association class improved from 3.3 to 1.8 (P:<0.001), and 6-minute walking distances increased from 209 to 497 yards (P:<0.0001). Pulmonary artery mean pressures decreased from 43.0+/-12.1 to 33. 7+/-10.2 mm Hg (P:=0.007). Eleven patients developed reperfusion pulmonary edema; 3 required mechanical ventilation.

CONCLUSIONSBPA reduces pulmonary artery hypertension in patients with CTEPH and is associated with long-term improvement in New York Heart Association class and 6-minute walking distances. BPA is a promising interventional technique that warrants randomized comparison with medical therapy in CTEPH patients who are not surgical candidates.

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