Pulmonary Endarterectomy

Pulmonary endarterectomy is a complex but potentially curative surgery for CTEPH. It involves placing the patient on a heart-lung bypass machine support that will take over the function of the heart and lungs as well as lowering the body temperature. This will allow the doctors time to carefully remove the clots from the lungs. The whole operation usually takes about seven to eight hours and is undertaken by a specially trained team of doctors and support staff.

Benefits

PEA surgery can cause significant improvement in symptoms of breathlessness and help bring pulmonary artery pressures back to normal. Patients with CTEPH who underwent PEA surgery generally reported improved quality of life.

Potential risks and complications

Common Risks

• Bleeding
• Reperfusion pulmonary edema
• Extended ICU stay
• Wound infection
• Irregular heart beat

Less Common Risks

• Subdural haematoma
• Renal and Heart failure
• Residual pulmonary hypertension

Rare Risks

• Death
• Stroke/brain injury
• Perforation of the pulmonary artery