Temple University Hospital’s (TUH) Advanced Pulmonary Hypertension, Right Heart Failure & CTEPH/PTE Heart Program within the Temple Heart and Vascular Institute recently achieved two important clinical milestones by performing its 500th pulmonary thromboendarterectomy (PTE) and 500th balloon pulmonary angioplasty (BPA) – two treatments for patients with Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension (CTEPH).
"We are extremely proud to have achieved 1,000 combined PTEs and BPAs,” said Anjali Vaidya, MD, FACC, FASE, FACP, Professor of Medicine at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University and Director of the Advanced Pulmonary Hypertension, Right Heart Failure & CTEPH Program at Temple University Hospital. “The Temple Heart and Vascular program has grown rapidly since its inception in 2013, becoming the largest CTEPH center in the Eastern United States. Our success is a testament to the dedication of our team, including specially trained heart failure specialists, surgeons, and interventional cardiologists.”
CTEPH is an increasingly recognized and often fatal form of elevated blood pressure in the circulation of the lungs resulting from a blood vessel that has been blocked by a prior pulmonary embolism (PE). The clots – which extend within the artery, cling to the artery wall and resemble scar tissue – block blood flow between the two sides of the heart. This increases pulmonary pressure and can cause a variety of serious problems, including debilitating shortness of breath and right-sided heart failure.
PTE is a highly specialized surgery in which a cardiovascular surgeon removes the clots. This involves placing the patient on a heart-lung machine, which temporarily takes over the duties of a patient’s heart and lungs to keep blood circulating. The patient’s body temperature is cooled to 65 degrees Fahrenheit, which slows down the metabolism and allows the surgeons to periodically pause circulation. This gives surgeons time and visibility to open the affected arteries and remove the chronic clots and scar tissue that are obstructing circulation. Once the clots are removed and the patient has a successful post-operative recovery, the result of this surgery for CTEPH is often curative.
“PTE is performed at only a handful of hospitals in the U.S., and we are pleased to be able to offer our patients this advanced surgical option with a 95% survival rate,” said Yoshiya Toyoda, MD, PhD, Professor and the William Maul Measey Chair of Surgery at the Katz School of Medicine & Chief of Cardiovascular Surgery at TUH. “The improvements patients experience after surgery are life changing.”
In addition to PTE surgery, this twin milestone also includes the expertise of Temple’s interventional cardiologists for BPA.
“For CTEPH patients who are not candidates for PTE surgery, or who have additional small clots after PTE surgery, BPA is a less invasive option that can help improve symptoms,” said Vladimir Lakhter, DO, Associate Professor of Medicine at the Katz School of Medicine.
The procedure uses small balloons to slowly open blood vessels that have been chronically blocked. This restores blood flow to the lungs, and reduces shortness of breath, fatigue and chest pain.
“BPA at Temple’s Heart and Vascular Institute has been shown to significantly improve pulmonary hypertension symptoms, heart function, and quality of life – with very low complication rates,” said Riyaz Bashir, MD, FACC, Professor of Medicine at the Katz School of Medicine and Director of Vascular and Endovascular Medicine at Temple University Hospital.
“The integration of PTE surgery, BPA, and medical management within our highly experienced pulmonary hypertension program provides comprehensive treatment options so patients can receive the best possible outcome," said Martin G. Keane, MD, FACC, FAHA, Professor of Medicine at the Katz School of Medicine, Chief of Cardiology at TUH and Medical Director of the Temple Heart & Vascular Institute.