# Balloon Pulmonary Angioplasty for the Treatment of Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension

## TL;DR

Balloon pulmonary angioplasty is a treatment option for chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension when surgery is not possible.

## Contribution

The paper reviews the effectiveness and challenges of balloon pulmonary angioplasty as a treatment strategy.

## Key findings

- Balloon pulmonary angioplasty is effective for patients who are inoperable or have residual obstruction.
- Complications can occur, but risk reduction strategies are available.
- Multidisciplinary teams are essential for managing complex patients.

## Abstract

Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension is a rare form of pulmonary hypertension in patients who have evidence of chronic thromboembolic occlusion of the pulmonary vasculature. Historically, surgical pulmonary thromboendarterectomy has been the treatment of choice. However, with up to 40% of patients deemed inoperable, balloon pulmonary angioplasty has emerged as an additional treatment strategy. Balloon pulmonary angioplasty is a complementary strategy alongside surgical pulmonary thromboendarterectomy and offers the opportunity for pulmonary revascularization in patients who have more distal disease, higher comorbidities, or residual obstruction following operative intervention. This review examines the history of balloon pulmonary angioplasty, highlights its effectiveness, discusses important complications and risk reduction strategies, and emphasizes the importance of centers forming a multidisciplinary team of providers to manage the complexity of patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension.