title: Open pulmonary thromboembolectomy in patients with major pulmonary thromboembolism.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We retrospectively analyzed open pulmonary thromboembolectomy in patients with acute and chronic pulmonary thromboembolism.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between August 1990 and May 2005, 12 consecutive patients with acute and chronic pulmonary thromboembolism underwent open pulmonary thromboembolectomy at Yonsei Cardiovascular Center. Their mean age was 47.5 years, and 7 of the patients were female. Among 12 patients, 5 had acute onset, and 7 had chronic disease, and 9 patients were associated with deep venous thrombosis. Extent of pulmonary embolism was massive in 3 patients with hemodynamic instability, and submassive in 8 patients. Preoperative echocardiogram revealed elevated right ventricular pressure in all patients, and 7 patients were in NYHA functional class III or IV. Pulmonary thromboembolectomy was performed in all patients under total circulatory arrest.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 2 hospital deaths (16.7%). Among the patients who survived, mean right ventricular pressure was decreased significantly from 64.3 mmHg to 34.0 mmHg with improvement of NYHA functional class.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Open pulmonary thromboembolectomy is thought to be an immediate and definitive treatment for massive pulmonary embolism with optimal results. Even though operative mortality is still high, early diagnosis and immediate surgical intervention in highly selective patients may improve the clinical outcome.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Yonsei University College of Medicine, 250 Seongsanno, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul 120-752, Korea.
authors.forename: Sak
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Suk-Won
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Gijong
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Yi
authors.forename: Young-Nam
authors.initials: YN
authors.lastname: Youn
authors.forename: Kyung-Jong
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Yoo
authors.forename: Byung-Chul
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Chang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017128:Embolectomy / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007723:Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016306:Vena Cava Filters