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Balloon Pulmonary Angioplasty (BPA Procedure)
For patients who have chronic PE that has progressed to CTEPH, a BPA procedure may be an alternative to open surgery.
If an acute (sudden) pulmonary embolism, a blood clot in the lung arteries develops into chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH), this can be potentially life-threatening. While medication may be used initially to help control symptoms, people with CTEPH may require a procedure such as pulmonary thromboendarterectomy, or PTE surgery. However, some patients may be eligible for a minimally invasive procedure known as balloon pulmonary angioplasty, or BPA, which is performed in our cardiac catheterization lab.
PTE surgery and BPA can both significantly improve symptoms and quality of life for people who have CTEPH, and can also reduce the risk of right ventricular heart failure.
Why choose Henry Ford Health for a BPA procedure?
- Multidisciplinary team: Given the complex nature of chronic pulmonary embolism and CTEPH, it requires several specialists who coordinate care throughout treatment. We have one of the most experienced and one of the very few specialized teams for CTEPH in the region and in the country, including interventional cardiologists who are experienced in performing balloon pulmonary angioplasty.
- Dedicated pulmonary and critical care team: We have a dedicated ICU for lung patients, and our critical care doctors specialize in pulmonary care, which gives them deep expertise in caring for patients who have had lung procedures such as balloon pulmonary angioplasty.
- Comprehensive pulmonary rehabilitation program: This supervised exercise program can help you recover from a chronic pulmonary embolism, so you can breathe easier, regain strength and perform daily activities such as walking and climbing stairs. We also educate you about lung disease, including teaching you about medications and other therapies, breathing techniques and more.
How does balloon pulmonary angioplasty work?
- This minimally invasive procedure is performed in our cardiac catheterization lab.
- An interventional cardiologist makes a small incision in your groin, then uses CT image scanning to guide a catheter (thin plastic tube) to the affected pulmonary arteries in the lung.
- A balloon is inflated in the blocked pulmonary artery to push blockages out of the way, break up any scar tissue and restore blood flow. This decreases the pressure that’s building up in your circulation, and allows for more oxygen to get into your blood.
- Each BPA procedure takes approximately two to four hours. To adequately treat CTEPH, most patients require four to six separate BPA procedures, although the total number of treatments and timing varies from person to person.
- Following the procedure, you’ll typically spend one night in the hospital for observation and are discharged the next day.