Russian consensus: balloon pulmonary angioplasty in treatment of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension

For a long time, the only method of revascularization in patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) was pulmonary thromboendarterectomy from the branches of pulmonary artery. Transluminal balloon pulmonary angioplasty (BPA), as an alternative treatment option for inoperable and residual CTEPH, appeared recently, but has already firmly taken its place in the treatment algorithm of CTEPH, and has significantly improved the prognosis in such patients. Active use of BPA in everyday practice served as the reason for the creation of this consensus in order to summarize and systematize modern data on patient selection, technique and goals of endovascular treatment, prevention and treatment of complications. The document additionally covers the issues of visualization of the pulmonary arteries, complex variants of damage and describes an algorithm for the prevention and treatment of pulmonary injury after BPA. The recommendations provided in the consensus are based on the results of national and foreign studies, the experience of experts and are intended for specialists who are part of a multidisciplinary team for the management of patients with CTEPH (cardiologists, endovascular and cardiovascular surgeons), as well as pulmonologists, radiation diagnosticians and physicians.