BPA vs. PEA in CTEPH

Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) is a rare and potentially life-threatening progressive disease that evolves from unresolved pulmonary embolism. Gold standard treatment for CTEPH is pulmonary endarterectomy (PEA) performed by skilled cardio-thoracic surgeons.

Some patients may not be surgical candidates due to co-morbidities or because the vascular lesions are too distal making them technically inoperable. In these patients, balloon pulmonary angioplasty (BPA) has emerged as an effective treatment. In a subgroup of patients, the distribution of vascular lesions makes it possible to perform either BPA or PEA. There has never been a head-to head comparison of BPA with PEA. The aim of this study is therefore, to evaluate if BPA is non-inferior to PEA in patients with (CTEPH) who are eligible for both treatments.