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Pulmonary Hypertension

Pulmonary Hypertension Overview

Pulmonary arteries are the blood vessels that move blood from the right side of the heart to the lungs where oxygen is received into the blood. The oxygenated blood (blood which carries oxygen) is then transported back to the left side of the heart via the pulmonary veins.

The pressure of blood circulating in the pulmonary arteries (pulmonary blood pressure) is normally significantly lower than the systemic blood pressure (pressure of blood measured routinely which is coming out the left side of the heart). Normal systemic systolic blood pressure is typically between 120 to 140 mmHg. In the pulmonary system, the blood pressure is typically 20 to 25 mmHg.

If the pressure in the pulmonary arteries abnormally rises for any reason, the condition is referred to as  pulmonary hypertension, pulmonary artery hypertension, or pulmonary arterial hypertension. In general, this rise in pressure is caused by tightening or constriction of the blood vessels carrying the blood to the lungs. This constriction hinders the flow of blood in the vessels, causing the blood to travel with a higher force and through a higher resistance, leading to high blood pressure.

There are no certain data on the statistics and prevalence of pulmonary hypertension; because the condition is typically associated with other underlying diseases that are more readily diagnosed and treated.



Next: Pulmonary Hypertension Causes »

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Pulmonary Hypertension

Heart and Lung Transplant »

Heart and Lung Transplant Overview

A pioneering heart surgeon, Dr Christiaan Barnard, performed the first successful human-to-human heart transplant operation in 1967 in Cape Town, South Africa. Unfortunately, early operations resulted in problems such as infection and rejection, and heart recipients did not survive very long.

With advances in technique and development of new drugs to suppress the immune system, more than 70% of transplant recipients currently survive more than 3 years. The problem now is a severe shortage of donor hearts in the United States. Each year, thousands of people are waiting for a heart. About 35% of them die before a heart becomes available. Only about 2,000 heart transplants are done each year in North America, the major reason is lack of donors.

  • A "bridge" device (assisted device) has been developed that lets certain people live longer while they wait for transplantation. A balloon pump inserted into the a...

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