A long way to go after the initial experience with balloon pulmonary angioplasty. Issue 6 (8th June 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Matsubara, Hiromi; Ogawa, Aiko
• Is Part Of: European respiratory journal. Volume 49:Issue 6(2017)
• Publication Date: 2017-06-08
• Subjects: Respiratory organs -- Diseases -- Periodicals; Respiration -- Periodicals; 616.2
• DOI: 10.1183/13993003.00718-2017
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0903-1936

Abstract

To date, the standard treatment for chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) has been surgical pulmonary endarterectomy (PEA) followed by life-time anticoagulation therapy [1]. However, excellent results with PEA have been limited to select centres with experience and expertise; many patients who are possible candidates for PEA at expert centres would be considered ineligible in many countries [2]. Medical treatment has shown little or no improvement in haemodynamic parameters in patients with CTEPH who are ineligible for PEA [3, 4]. Thus, despite partial success of balloon pulmonary angioplasty (BPA) in the USA [5], attempts to treat patients with CTEPH by BPA have increased in several countries where PEA is not widely performed [6–8]. Before starting a BPA programme, two main problems in the initial report [5] need to be resolved: its low efficacy and high incidence of complication. To improve efficacy and safety of balloon pulmonary angioplasty, accumulation of experience and knowledge is needed http://ow.ly/lVSj30bFFNh