title: [Surgical treatment of chronic pulmonary thromboembolism].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the perioperative management and safety of pulmonary thromboendarterectomy for chronic pulmonary thromboembolism.
  
  
  METHODS
  From March 1999 to March 2004, 12 patients with chronic pulmonary thromboembolism received thromboendarterectomy. The operation was performed under cardio-pulmonary bypass with low flow or circulative arrest and deep hypothermia. The clinical data of the 12 cases were reviewed retrospectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Pulmonary pressure immediately decreased 20 to 40 mm Hg (1 mm Hg = 0.133 kPa) after operation in 6 cases. Various degrees of postoperative pulmonary edema happened in 8 cases. One patient died at the 19th day after operation due to severe lung infection and pulmonary re-embolism. Eleven patients were followed-up for 2 months to 5 years, the clinical symptom and routine daily activity were improved after surgery.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pulmonary thromboendarterectomy is an effective treatment for chronic pulmonary thromboembolism. It is very important to management of postoperative reperfusion injury and pulmonary edema. A key point to enhance the safety of surgical treatment for chronic pulmonary thromboembolism is preoperative correct evaluation and indication selection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China. renjohnh@yahoo.com.cn
authors.forename: Hua
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.forename: Pi-xiong
authors.initials: PX
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: Chao-ji
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Song
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.forename: Guo-tao
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Heng
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Chen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004691:Endarterectomy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000601:surgery; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000601:surgery*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome