Pulmonary Hypertension Program

Advanced Pulmonary Hypertension Treatment

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) causes many issues that make it hard to enjoy everyday activities. Shortness of breath, chest pain, and lightheadedness can affect your ability to exercise, drive, and work. We focus treatment on easing your symptoms and preventing serious complications.

Our specialty programs for heart failure, congenital heart disease and valve disease make us uniquely qualified to care for conditions related to pulmonary hypertension. Our cardiologists also treat people with PH related to pulmonary embolism (blood clots in the lungs), lung disease, connective tissue disorders and liver disease. We are a regional referral center for people who develop PH after liver transplant surgery.

What Is Pulmonary Hypertension?   

Pulmonary hypertension is high blood pressure in the lungs. Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a type of PH that develops when the arteries that carry blood from your heart to your lungs are narrowed or blocked. It forces the arteries on the left side of your heart to work harder than normal. PAH can lead to serious complications, such as arrhythmias (irregular heart rhythm), blood clots or heart failure. 

Pulmonary Hypertension Diagnosis and Treatment 

Pulmonary hypertension can be difficult to diagnose. The symptoms are similar to those of other conditions, such as congestive heart failure or asthma. That’s why it’s important to get care from experienced pulmonary hypertension specialists. At UMass Memorial, our cardiologists routinely evaluate and diagnose this condition. 

We offer the latest diagnostic tests and cardiac imaging for pulmonary hypertension, including: 

• Blood tests
• Cardiac catheterization 
• Cardiac CT scan
• Cardiac MRI
• Chest X-ray
• Echocardiography
• Electrocardiogram (ECG)

Our cardiologists build an individualized care plan based on the type of pulmonary hypertension you have.

• Lifestyle changes: Eating a healthy, low-salt diet, exercising regularly and maintaining a healthy weight can help prevent PH from worsening. 
• Medication: You may benefit from blood thinners to prevent clots, vasodilators to relax blood vessels or pain medication to ease discomfort in your chest.
• Infusion therapy: In some cases, we place a catheter in a vein or under your skin so you receive a continuous infusion of medicine. 
• Oxygen therapy: Supplemental oxygen can increase the amount of oxygen in your blood and may reduce symptoms of fatigue and lightheadedness. 
• Surgery: We may recommend surgery for PH that doesn’t improve with medication. A pulmonary endarterectomy removes clots from blood vessels in the lungs. An atrial septostomy creates a hole between the upper chambers of the heart to relieve pressure. Lung transplant surgery may be necessary in severe cases.