Surgical and Device Interventions in the Treatment of Chronic Thromboembolic Disease

Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary disease (CTEPD) is characterized by unresolved clot burden in large pulmonary arteries, obstructive disease in smaller arteries, and increased downstream clot burden. This occurs in the setting of abnormal fibrinolysis or hematological disorders. Up to 50% of patients in some studies are unaware of a self-history of a deep venous thrombosis or pulmonary embolism. Ultimately, they present with symptoms of pulmonary hypertension (PH), which can result in right heart failure (RHF). Pulmonary endarterectomy (PEA) is curative, though many patients have prohibitive surgical risk or surgically inaccessible disease, warranting other interventions such as balloon pulmonary angioplasty (BPA) and medical therapy. Rarely, other treatment options may be implemented. We focus this review on PEA and BPA, with an overview of the history of CTEPD and the evolution of these procedures. We will briefly discuss other treatment modalities.