Pulmonary Hypertension Treatments

We carefully evaluate your condition to determine the right treatments for your situation. Then, we work with you to get the best results. Options may include:

• Medications to treat a variety of forms of pulmonary hypertension and new ones currently being studied and getting approved for use. Once your diagnosis is confirmed then your pulmonary hypertension specialist can review the options and help decide which is the best choice for you. Therapies range from pills taken by mouth, medications that are inhaled, to ones that are given by a continuous infusion either under the skin or through a catheter directly into the bloodstream.
• Pulmonary rehabilitation can help you learn to care for your lungs, exercise safely and return to normal activities.
• Oxygen therapy may help you feel and function better.
• Referral to our sleep center for treatment of obstructive sleep apnea, if that’s the cause of your condition.
• Lung or heart-lung transplant may be a pulmonary hypertension treatment option in very severe cases.
• Pulmonary thromboendarterectomy (PTE) surgery to remove the remnants of prior blood clots in the lungs (chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension or CTEPH).

Other treatments for CTEPH may include:

• Balloon pulmonary angioplasty (BPA): A minimally invasive procedure to open blocked vessels in the lung, often used if surgery is not possible.
• Medical therapy: Medicines such as riociguat may help when surgery or angioplasty are not options, or if symptoms remain despite these treatments.
• Anticoagulant therapy: All patients need lifelong blood thinners to prevent new clots.

Choosing the best treatment for CTEPH is complex and requires a team of specialists—including lung, heart, surgery, and radiology specialists. At Emory, experts from these fields meet regularly to review each patient’s case together. Our team’s goal is to create a personalized plan that offers the best chance for improved symptoms and quality of life.

When it’s right for you, we may refer you to a clinical trial. We’re actively involved in pulmonary hypertension research to better understand the causes of the condition and develop new treatments. We are among a select few locations in Georgia to provide access to trials that test the effects of new drugs for pulmonary hypertension.