Surgical outcome of two difficult cases with predominant proximal pulmonary artery lesions of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension.

Pulmonary endarterectomy (PEA) for chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) is still challenging. The outcome of patients with proximal pulmonary artery disease is generally better than that of a distal lesion. However, we experienced poor results in two difficult cases having predominant proximal lesions even after effective PEA. Both of them had a long-time history of CTEPH and preoperative condition was critical. Although relatively large amount of thickened intima with massive thrombi were extracted from the proximal pulmonary arteries, they required postoperative percutaneous cardiopulmonary support due to residual pulmonary hypertension. Both of them finally died from pulmonary bleeding and adult respiratory distress syndrome.