Thromboendarterectomy as treatment in the antiphospholipid syndrome.

Antiphospholipid antibody syndrome (APS) may lead to pulmonary hypertension, a lethal complication of chronic pulmonary thromboembolism. There are few viable treatment options for pulmonary hypertension, but pulmonary thromboendarterectomy (PTE) has been used to successfully treat this condition in many patient populations. Following is a description of a patient with APS and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) who presented with severe pulmonary hypertension and underwent lifesaving surgery with pulmonary thromboendarterectomy. Successful intervention with thromboendarterectomy for the treatment of severe pulmonary hypertension is possible in patients with the antiphospholipid antibody syndrome, and surgical referral of these patients is warranted.