Archivos del Instituto de Cardiología de México
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Arch Inst Cardiol Mex · Sep 1991
Case Reports[Pulmonary thromboendarterectomy as a treatment of chronic pulmonary arterial hypertension secondary to unresolved pulmonary thromboembolism. A preliminary report].
This is a preliminary report of our initial experience with thromboendarterectomy in the treatment of four patients with chronic major-vessel thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension. Before surgery, these patients all had severe pulmonary hypertension and cor pulmonale as well as significant abnormalities in lung function (mechanics and gas exchange). ⋯ The remaining three surviving patients have shown a remarkable improvement in both, pulmonary hemodynamics and lung function which has been translated in an also significant improvement in their clinical condition. Although there is still a significant risk involved with this procedure, the thromboendarterectomy represents a reasonable and useful therapeutic approach for selected patients with this deadly form of chronic pulmonary hypertension in which other forms of treatment have proved to be unsuccessful.