CTEPH Myths
MYTH: Older patients
ineligible for PTE
William Auger, MD, dispels the myth that pulmonary thromboendarterectomy (PTE, also known as PEA) cannot be performed in older patients.
MYTH: PTE/PEA is still
experimental
Richard Channick, MD, dispels the myth that PTE/PEA is still an experimental technique in CTEPH.
MYTH: Very Ill patients cannot be considered for PTE surgery
Nick H. Kim, MD, dispels the myth that very ill patients cannot be considered for pulmonary thromboendarterectomy surgery, the only potentially curative treatment for CTEPH.
MYTH: V/Q scan is
contraindicated in PH
Paul Forfia, MD, dispels the myth that the ventilation/perfusion scan is contraindicated in patients who have pulmonary hypertension.
MYTH: PTE/PEA
surgery has a high
mortality rate
William Auger, MD, dispels the myth that pulmonary thromboendarterectomy surgery has a high mortality rate.
MYTH: Patients with
high PVR are ineligible
for PTE
Paul Forfia, MD, dispels the myth that PVR >1000 dyn•sec•cm-5 makes a patient ineligible for PTE.
MYTH: Obese patients are ineligible for PTE
Victor F. Tapson, MD, dispels the myth that PTE/PEA surgery can’t be done in obese patients.
MYTH: V/Q scan is
enough to diagnose CTEPH
Ivan Robbins, MD, dispels the myth that a ventilation/perfusion scan showing perfusion defects is sufficient to diagnose CTEPH.
MYTH: Medical therapy can be used to delay or replace PTE/PEA
Richard Channick, MD, dispels the myth that medical therapy can be used to delay or replace PTE surgery.
MYTH: Recovery from
acute PE excludes
CTEPH
Victor F. Tapson, MD, dispels the myth that a patient who recovers from an acute pulmonary embolism cannot go on to develop CTEPH.
MYTH: CT pulmonary
angiography can be
used to rule out CTEPH
Nick H. Kim, MD, dispels the myth that computerized tomographic pulmonary angiography can be used as a screen instead of a V/Q scan to rule out CTEPH.
MYTH: No need for
V/Q after RHC
Ivan Robbins, MD, dispels the myth that once PH is confirmed by RHC, there is no need to perform a V/Q scan.
