Management of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension. Experience from a national reference centre

Introduction: Although medical treatment can clinically improve inoperable patients, pulmonary endarterectomy surgery is the treatment of choice for patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension, and is potentially curative. An evaluation was made of the long-term outcomes in medical and surgical populations at a national Unit of Reference. Methods: A total of 292 patients were evaluated from February 1996 until December 2015, of whom 142 were had surgery (group 1) and 116 were considered inoperable (group 2). The follow-up ended in December 2016. Results: Survival rate after 3 3 years was 92% in group 1 and 86% in group 2, and after 5 5 years it was 91% and 78%, respectively P=.001). The multivariate analysis results showed that survival in patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension was related to surgery (HR 0.37; 95% CI; 0.19-0.72; P=.003), history of acute pulmonary embolism (HR 0.50; 95% CI; 0.27-0.92; P=.026), distance walked in the six-minute walk test (HR 0.79; 95% CI; 0.73-0.85; P=.001), history of cancer (HR 2.57; 95% CI; 1.22-5.43; P=.013), and pulmonary vascular resistance (HR 1.19; 95% CI; 1.02-1.39; P=.024). In group 1, the variables associated with survival were the six-minute walk test (HR 0.84; 95% CI; 0.79-0.96; P=.009), and the cardiac output (HR 0.61; 95% CI; 0.39-0.96; P=.033), and in group 2, the variable associated was the six-minute walk test (HR 0.81; 95% CI; 0.71-0.92; P=.001). Conclusion: Patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension who received pulmonary endarterectomy surgery have an excellent survival rate, and significantly superior to that of patients treated medically. In the present series, pulmonary endarterectomy surgery was the most important predictive survival factor. 2017 Sociedad Espanola de Cirugla Toracica-Cardiovascular. Published by Elsevier Espana, S.L.U.