Transesophageal echocardiography to evaluate patients with severe pulmonary hypertension for lung transplantation

Early Cardiac Tamponade Due to Tension Pneumopericardium After Bilateral Lung Transplantation

“…6 In another report on 38 patients with pulmonary hypertension, who were at risk of re-opening of their PFO, only 2 (5%) PFOs with a significant right-to-left shunt were found during transoesophageal echocardiography. 7 In patients with lung transplantation the highest reported frequency of significant PFO was 19%, in patients with idiopathic pulmonary hypertension, 8 which is a relatively rare indication of transplantation. 9 In our case, no pulmonary hypertension was found, but cardiac tamponade with direct compression of the right atria and ventricle during inspiration ( Figure 1A) increased the right-to-left shunt.…”

Thrombocytopenia is an independent predictor of mortality in pulmonary hypertension

“…37,39,40 While these values are greatly influenced by the minimum set criteria used to confirm a diagnosis of PH, the accuracy of echocardiography in diagnosis of PH increases with increased hemodynamic severity of PH. 41,42 Because our study population only consisted of patients with severe PH (PASP >60 mm Hg), the use of transthoracic echocardiography (versus cardiac catheterization) should not significantly influence the accuracy of our results. In addition, mean pulmonary pressures, measured by cardiac catheterization, were available for 9% (47/521) of patients; catheterization results confirmed that these patients had significant PH.…”

Intraoperative Echocardiography for Patients Undergoing Lung Transplantation

“…Furthermore, previously unidentified intracardiac shunts were shown to alter the surgical plan in 25% of patients. 4 …”