Safety and Efficacy of a Dedicated Pulmonary Thromboendarterectomy Fellowship: The UK Experience at a High-Volume Center

May 7, 2026

Source: The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery

Source URL: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtcvs.2026.03.603

Keywords:

Cardiac

Author(s): Ujjawal Kumar, Stephen Chiu, Alicia Chia, Jason Varzaly, Rakesh Seetharaman, Florencia Ares, Fouad John Taghavi, Steven Tsui, Choo Ng, David P. Jenkins

This study evaluated the safety and effectiveness of dedicated training for pulmonary thromboendarterectomy (PTE) performed by fellows compared to experienced surgeons in a high-volume center. An analysis of 1,744 PTE cases revealed that although fellows had longer circulatory arrest times, complication rates and hospital mortality were similar between both groups. Post-discharge outcomes regarding hemodynamic status, functional ability, and long-term survival were also comparable. Overall, dedicated PTE training is safe and does not compromise surgical outcomes.