Background: In this study, we aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of balloon pulmonary angioplasty (BPA) in patients with technically inoperable distal-type chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (d-CTEPH) and technically operable proximal-type disease (p-CTEPH) by analyzing the results of BPA treatment in two collaborating CTEPH referral centers.
Methods and results: We assessed hemodynamic results, functional efficacy, complication and survival rate after BPA treatment in 70 CTEPH patients (median age 64 years; (interquartile range (IQR): 52-73 years)), of whom 16 (median age 73 years; (QR 62-82 years)) were in the p-CTEPH subgroup. Altogether, 377 BPA procedures were performed, resulting in significant (p < 0.001) improvement in mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP 48.6 ± 10 vs. 31.3 ± 8.6 mmHg), pulmonary vascular resistance (694 ± 296 vs. 333 ± 162 dynes*s*cm-5), six-minute walk test (365 ± 142 vs. 433 ± 120 metres) and N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide (1307 (510-3294) vs. 206 (83-531) pg/mL). The rate of improvement did not differ between the sub-groups. Lung injury episodes and severe hemoptysis were similarly infrequent in d-CTEPH and p-CTEPH (6.4% vs. 5%; p = 0.55 and 1.0% vs. 2.5; p = 0.24, respectively). There was no significant difference between the sub-groups regarding survival (p = 0.53 by log-rank test).
Conclusion: BPA may be beneficial in patients with p-CTEPH who cannot undergo pulmonary endarterectomy (PEA). Larger long-term studies are needed to better define the efficacy, safety, and optimal BPA procedural standards in this population.
Keywords: balloon pulmonary angioplasty; chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension; distal-type CTEPH; proximal-type CTEPH; pulmonary endarterectomy.