Pulmonary endarterectomy - an example of treatment of right ventricular after load failure

The treatment of choice for patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension is pulmonary endarterectomy to reduce pulmonary vascular resistance with significant symptomatic and prognostic benefit. The fundamental aim of the surgery is to perform a full endarterectomy (not embolectomy or thrombectomy) in both pulmonary arteries. The operation is performed via a median sternotomy with hypothermic cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) at 20 °C. Pulmonary arteriotomies are performed within the pericardium and periods of circulatory arrest are necessary to reduce collateral blood flow from bronchial arteries and allow a clear field for dissection distally. The endarterectomy plane is raised carefully as it is essential the correct layer be identified. The dissection proceeds within the superficial media into all the affected segmental and sub-segmental vessels. A cast of the inner layer of the pulmonary arterial tree is then dissected free by eversion moving towards the periphery. After completion of the endarterectomies, and the patient is rewarmed slowly on full CPB. During weaning from CPB the right-sided filling pressures should be kept low, guided by invasive haemodynamic monitoring. Survival to hospital discharge is ≫95% in experienced centres with outcome dependent on the disease pattern and pulmonary vascular resistance pre- and post-surgery.