Emory Healthcare announced on Apr. 9 that it has established Georgia’s first and only comprehensive program to treat patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH).
The new program is significant because CTEPH, a form of pulmonary hypertension caused by blood clots in the lungs, can be life-threatening if not properly managed. The American Lung Association reports that about 3,000 new cases of CTEPH are diagnosed each year in the United States.
Paul Forfia, MD, professor of medicine and director of the Emory Healthcare Pulmonary Hypertension, Right Heart Failure and CTEPH Program, leads the initiative alongside Victor Pretorius, MD. Pretorius is a professor of surgery and serves as surgical director for heart transplant and pulmonary thromboendarterectomy programs at Emory. Together they bring experience from more than 2,000 pulmonary thromboendarterectomy surgeries and over 1,000 balloon pulmonary angioplasty procedures performed at Emory University Hospital.
“We are very proud to bring this type of comprehensive treatment to patients who have been diagnosed with CTEPH in Georgia and the Southeast region,” Forfia said. “We believe superior outcomes are driven by multidisciplinary collaboration among highly specialized and experienced clinicians. Our approach to treatment reflects that commitment.”
Accurate diagnosis is essential because CTEPH is unique among forms of pulmonary hypertension: surgery may offer a cure for some patients. At Emory University Hospital, patients receive care from a team including cardiologists, cardiothoracic surgeons, interventional cardiologists and pulmonologists.
“Our team of experts are dedicated to finding the best treatment options for our patients so they can breathe easier and have a better quality of life,” Pretorius said.
The launch of this program marks an important development for people living with CTEPH in Georgia and surrounding states.
