Pulmonary vascular disease care

Pulmonary vascular disease is a condition that affects the blood vessels between the heart and lungs, which can lead to serious complications. When these vessels become blocked, narrowed, or damaged, it causes pulmonary hypertension and blood flow is reduced. This can cause chest pain, exhaustion, and increasing difficulty breathing. These symptoms can severely affect your daily activities and quality of life. However, with early detection and the right treatment, many people with pulmonary vascular disease see much better outcomes.

At Penn Medicine, we have extensive experience in diagnosing, evaluating, and treating all forms of pulmonary vascular disease. Our program is one of the first and largest of its kind in the United States. We offer the most effective treatments available to improve pulmonary hypertension (a common form of the disease) and, in some cases, even reverse some of the damage to the lungs and heart.

Penn Medicine is a Pulmonary Hypertension Association-accredited Center of Comprehensive Care. This means we treat all cases, from those that are recently diagnosed to those that are more advanced.

Until recently, people with pulmonary hypertension or other forms of pulmonary vascular disease had very few options for the management of their disease. Today, we are at the forefront of research and patient care, offering revolutionary options for effective treatment and management, among them:

• Oral, inhaled, and intravenous (pump-infused) medications: We are well-versed in how to use and combine medications to improve symptoms and minimize side effects.
• Thromboendarterectomy: This is surgery to remove a blood clot and the inner lining of the artery that has become blocked, helping restore blood flow in patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension. Our surgeons specialize in this complicated procedure.

As pulmonary vascular disease evolves, our multispecialty heart failure and advanced lung disease teams offer a complete continuum of care, including mechanical circulatory support options. We also work closely with our heart transplant and lung transplant teams for those who may benefit from these procedures.