Respiratory and Hemodynamic Changes in Patients with Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension 1 Year after Pulmonary Endarterectomy

Abstract

We reviewed the results of thromboembolectomy, which was performed for the treatment of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension, 1 year after the operation. We obtained hemodynamic and respiratory data of 60 patients from the 112 patients who were operated at our institute. The hemodynamic parameters such as mean pulmonary arterial pressure, pulmonary vascular resistance, and cardiac index were significantly improved after the operation, and this improvement of pulmonary hemodynamics persisted even a year after the operation. A significant improvement in gas exchange was observed immediately after the operation and a further elevation in the partial pressure of oxygen in arterial blood (PaO₂) was observed 1 year after the operation.