Functional and haemodynamic outcome 1 year after pulmonary thromboendarterectomy.
OBJECTIVE
Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) results in severe symptoms and impaired survival. Pulmonary thromboendarterectomy (PTE) is considered the gold standard treatment. Many units have reported excellent early results post PTE, but there is less information on whether benefit is sustained. We sought to determine the medium-term functional and haemodynamic outcome for patients following PTE and the longer-term survival after discharge from hospital.


METHODS
Data were collected prospectively on all patients who underwent PTE in the UK between 1997 and June 2006. Patients were reassessed at 3 and 12 months after operation. Follow-up over time was assessed using repeated measures ANOVA, the Friedman test or Wilcoxon signed ranks test as appropriate.


RESULTS
Two hundred and twenty-nine patients underwent PTE, survived to hospital discharge, and completed follow-up. At 3 months following operation, there was a significant reduction in mean pulmonary artery pressure (47+/-14 to 25+/-14mmHg, p<0.001), a significant increase in cardiac index (1.9+/-0.7 to 2.5+/-0.6l/minm(2), p<0.001) and a significant increase in 6-min walk distance (269+/-123 to 375+/-104m, p<0.001). At 12-month follow-up, the haemodynamic improvements were sustained and there was a further increase in 6-min walk distance (375+/-104 to 392+/-108m, p=0.004). NYHA class was significantly reduced at 3 months, with the improvement sustained at 12 months. Conditional survival following discharge from hospital was 92.5% at 5 years and 88.3% at 10 years.


CONCLUSIONS
PTE is a very effective therapy for CTEPH. This is the first report from a continuous national series to fully characterise haemodynamic and functional outcome 1 year after PTE. Patients enjoy continued improvement in haemodynamic status that translates into better exercise capacity, reduced symptoms and excellent survival.
Freed
Darren H
DH
Papworth Hospital, Papworth Everard, Cambridge CB23 3RE, UK.
Thomson
Bruce M
BM
Tsui
Steven S L
SS
Dunning
John J
JJ
Sheares
Karen K
KK
Pepke-Zaba
Joanna
J
Jenkins
David P
DP
D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D002302:Cardiac Output; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004691:Endarterectomy / Q000379:methods*; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005080:Exercise Test / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome