[Long term outcome after pulmonary thromboendarterectomy].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the long term effect of pulmonary thromboendarterectomy (PTE) in patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH).


METHODS
From Mar 1997 to Jun 2002 at Fuwai Hospital, 14 patients with CTEPH underwent PTE and survived. One of them lost contact and the remaining 13 patients were followed up for a mean of 40 (17 - 77) months. The parameters included survival rate, cardiac function, arterial gas analysis and systolic pulmonary artery pressure (SPAP) calculated by echocardiogram.


RESULTS
In the period of follow-up no patient died. Before PTE the cardiac function were severely impaired (NYHA classes III-IV) in all patients, while during the follow-up 12 cases were in NYHA class I and 1 in NYHA class III. Compared with preoperative values, the postoperative arterial pressure of oxygen (PaO2) significantly improved (90.8 +/- 6.0) mm Hg vs (58.1 +/- 8.6) mm Hg, (P < 0.01), so was the arterial oxygen saturation (96 +/- 1)% vs (90 +/- 5)%, (P < 0.05), while systolic pressure of pulmonary artery decreased significantly (97.1 +/- 22.4) mm Hg vs (42.6 +/- 10.7) mm Hg, (P < 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
PTE provides substantial improvement in survival, function and quality of life in most CTEPH patients.
Wu
Yong-Bo
YB
Department of Cardiac Surgery, Fuwai Cardiovascular Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100037, China.
Wu
Qing-Yu
QY
D000328:Adult; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004691:Endarterectomy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome