Pulmonary endarterectomy in chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension.

BACKGROUND

Management and outcome of patients with operable chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) who underwent pulmonary endarterectomy (PEA) at a large German referral center were investigated.

METHODS

In Germany, 394 PEAs were performed in 2014 and 2015 with an in-hospital mortality rate of 5.8%. Of these, 253 patients (64.2%) were treated at the Kerckhoff Clinic, Bad Nauheim, and 237 (93.7%; median age, 62 years [interquartile range [IQR], 52-72 years]; 46.0% female) were included in the present analysis.

RESULTS

On referral, 52 patients (22.0%) were treated with pulmonary arterial hypertension-specific drugs and 95 (40.4%) were treated with non-vitamin K-dependent oral anticoagulants, and 14 (5.9%) had mean pulmonary artery pressure <25 mm Hg and were classified as having chronic thromboembolic pulmonary vascular disease. PEA was feasible in 236 (99.6%) patients with median duration of surgery of 397 minutes (IQR, 363-431 minutes). Periprocedural (0%) and in-hospital (2.5%) mortality rates were very low. Forty-two patients (17.7%) had intraoperative complications, and 60 (25.3%) had post-operative complications. The duration of surgery was the only predictor of in-hospital mortality (≥500 minutes; odds ratio [OR], 32.0; 95% confidence interval [CI], 5.5-187.6) and the only independent predictor of intraoperative (≥440 minutes; OR, 10.8; 95% CI, 4.4-26.5) and post-operative (≥390 minutes; OR, 2.4; 95%CI, 1.1-5.7) complications. Only intraoperative complications independently predicted a longer duration of surgery (≥397 minutes; OR, 5.0; 95% CI, 2.2-11.2).

CONCLUSIONS

In an experienced center with multidisciplinary diagnostic and therapeutic approaches, PEA is safe. Prognosis was mainly determined by occurrence of intraoperative complications and duration of surgery rather than patients' pre-operative status.