Surgical treatments/interventions for pulmonary arterial hypertension: ACCP evidence-based clinical practice guidelines.

While considerable advances have been achieved in the medical treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) over the past decade, surgical and interventional approaches continue to have important roles in those patients for whom medical therapy is unavailable or has been unsuccessful. These techniques include pulmonary thromboendarterectomy for chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension, thoracic transplantation, and atrial septostomy. This chapter will provide evidence-based recommendations for the selection and timing of surgical and interventional treatments of PAH for physicians involved in the care of these complex patients.