Refined Balloon Pulmonary Angioplasty for Inoperable Patients with Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension

BACKGROUND: Although balloon pulmonary angioplasty (BPA) for inoperable patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension was first reported over a decade ago, its clinical application has been restricted because of limited efficacy and complications. We have refined the procedure of BPA to maximize its clinical efficacy. METHODS AND RESULTS: Sixty-eight consecutive patients with inoperable chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension underwent BPA. We evaluated pulmonary artery diameters and determined the appropriate balloon size by using intravascular ultrasound. We performed BPA in a staged fashion over multiple, separate procedures to maximize efficacy and reduce the risk of reperfusion…