Pulmonary Thromboembolectomy in Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension: A Case Report and Review of Literature
Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) is an important cause of severe pulmonary hypertention (PH) resulting in significant morbidity and mortality. Chronic thromboembolic PH occurs when a pulmonary embolism fails to undergo complete thrombolysis leading to vascular occlusion and pulmonary hypertension. Despite the fact that CTEPH is a potential consequence of pulmonary embolus, diagnosis requires a high degree of vigilance as many patients will not have a history of thromboembolic disease. The ventilation perfusion scan is used to evaluate for the possibility of CTEPH although right heart catheterization and pulmonary artery (PA) angiogram are needed to confirm the diagnosis. Pulmonary thromboendarterectomy is the first-line treatment for patients who are surgical candidates. This case report and review describes the pathophysiology, risk factors, diagnosis, and management of CTEPH. As it is a potentially curable cause of PH, its accurate diagnosis is vital. The gold standard and effective treatment for CTEPH is pulmonary endarterectomy (PEA). Pulmonary endarterectomy is an uncommon procedure with less than 50 years of experience worldwide. Research on the development of new surgical approaches is essential. In the present case, a new successful surgical technique for PEA was introduced. Conclusion: The surgical procedure used on the present patient was a unique technique. We do not claim that our technique is better than the original San Diego technique, but it is suggested as a modification that may improve patient survival. However, this procedure has its own limitations and cannot be used for clots that are located distally. Therefore, further experience should be obtained in order to overcome the limitations and improve the applicability of the technique.