Changing the strategy of balloon pulmonary angioplasty resulted in a reduced complication rate in patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension. A single-centre European experience.

BACKGROUND AND AIM To assess the safety and efficacy of a refined balloon pulmonary angioplasty (BPA) strategy in patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH). METHODS There were 157 BPA sessions performed in 56 CTEPH patients (47 non-operable, nine after pulmonary endarterectomy; aged 58.6 ± 17.9 years; 28 females) with severely impaired pulmonary haemodynamics (mean pulmonary artery pressure [mPAP]: 51.3 ± 12.2 mm Hg, pulmonary vascular resistance [PVR]: 10.1 ± 3.9 Wood Units). The first 50 sessions aimed to recanalise chronic occlusions and prevent reocclusion with aggressive anticoagulation. The next 107 sessions aimed to relieve "web" and "ring" lesions using reduced tip load guidewires and less intensive anticoagulation. RESULTS There was significant reduction in haemoptysis (22% vs. 7%, p = 0.01), vessel injury (30% vs. 13%, p = 0.01), and reperfusion pulmonary injuries (22% vs. 4%, p = 0.01) after changing the BPA strategy. Mortality at 14 days was also reduced (6% vs. 0%; p = 0.05). The cumulative survival rate was 94.6% at 24 months after the first BPA, which was more favourable than medically treated historic controls. In the 31 patients with > 3 BPA sessions, there was significant reduction of PVR (10.3 ± 3.7 vs. 5.9 ± 2.8 Wood Units; p = 0.01), mPAP (50.7 ± 10.8 vs. 35.6 ± 9.3 mm Hg; p = 0.01) and improvement in World Health Organisation functional class (3.19 ± 0.48 vs. 1.97 ± 0.80; p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Balloon pulmonary angioplasty improves haemodynamics and outcome but requires refined strategy to limit early complication rate.