CTEPH program offers comprehensive care close to home for rare form of pulmonary hypertension
When Joy Gorder was diagnosed with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH), she had one goal – live to see her granddaughter graduate from high school.
As a nurse, Gorder knew that pulmonary hypertension is a serious and often life-threatening medical condition. CTEPH is a rare, specific type of pulmonary hypertension. It’s caused by old blood clots in the lungs, called pulmonary emboli, which have turned into scars and blocked blood vessels. If left untreated, CTEPH can put additional strain on the heart and ultimately lead to right heart failure.
Thankfully, there are several treatments that can help patients manage their symptoms. With help from the dedicated CTEPH program at M Health Fairview University of Minnesota Medical Center, Gorder is looking ahead for the first time in years – to her granddaughter’s graduation in June and beyond.
Comprehensive CTEPH care – close to home
M Health Fairview Cardiologist Kurt Prins, MD, PhD, treats patients with pulmonary hypertension. Three years ago, he helped lead the charge to train M Health Fairview cardiologists and surgeons to comprehensively care for patients with CTEPH within our region.
In February 2020, surgeons at M Health Fairview University of Minnesota Medical Center performed their first surgery to treat CTEPH, by removing the scar tissue from a patient’s lungs. They’ve now performed 13 surgeries to date.
“We now get 15-20 new referrals for patients with CTEPH every year, and we hope this number continues to rise” said Prins. “We’re one of just a few centers in the Midwest that offers both surgical and non-surgical treatments for CTEPH. We’ve begun working with patients from across our region and beyond.”
Twin Cities resident Jackie Geiger is one of these patients, who was able to have surgery for CTEPH in her own backyard. Her journey with pulmonary hypertension started 13 years ago, when she developed a pulmonary embolism after a hard fall. Doctors treated the embolism and monitored Geiger over the next decade. A few years ago, she noticed shortness of breath and fatigue.
When she was no longer able to walk more than 100 feet without stopping, Geiger knew something was wrong and went into urgent care. Doctors suspected it was pulmonary hypertension and she was referred to M Health Fairview for care. There, Prins and his team diagnosed her with CTEPH.
Working with Geiger, the team decided her best long-term option would be surgery to remove the old clots in her lungs.
