Surgical Management of Unresolved Pulmonary Embolism

A Personal Series of 72 Patients

¹ From the Service de Pneumologie et de Réanimation Respiratoire and Radiologie, Hôpital Antoine Béclere, Clamart, France, and the Service de Chirurgie Thoracique, Centre Chirurgical Marie Lannelongue, Le Plessis Robinson, France

Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CT-E PH) is a rare and aberrant outcome of acute pulmonary embolism. Because it has become a potentially curable form of pulmonary hypertension, the frequency of recognized cases has increased. We report a case series of 72 patients with CT-E PH evaluated in our institution between 1984 and 1993, and discuss diagnostic clues and therapeutic approaches. All patients complained of dyspnea on exertion, a history of acute thromboembolic event, and lung murmurs were found in 60% and 17% of patients, respectively. The presence of a disorder of coagulation was found in 30% of the patients tested, the most common abnormality being lupus anticoagulant. The key noninvasive study for diagnosis was the lung perfusion scan which showed at least one segmental or larger perfusion defect in all patients. Pulmonary angiography confirmed the diagnosis in all cases, and sometimes associated to intravascular ultrasound imaging, established the feasibility of thromboendarterectomy. Medical therapy included the use of long-term oral anticoagulant, and in the case of lower limb venous thrombosis, inferior vena cava filtration. Finally two surgical procedures were discussed in selected patients: thromboendarterectomy and lung transplantation. Since 1988, eight patients have benefited from lung transplantation (six patients are still alive), and 11 patients underwent thromboendarterectomy which was successful in 9 patients with a dramatic functional and hemodynamic improvement.