Patient Care

The Comprehensive Pulmonary Hypertension (PH)  Program at UPMC is a unique multidisciplinary program  which incorporates clinical and research expertise in both cardiovascular and pulmonary disease.  The clinical program includes a a team of pulmonologists, cardiologists, and specialists that collaborate to  discuss PH patients’ cases, diagnoses, testing, and potential  therapies. The approach the patient’s care is personalized and promotes the physicians’ ability to properly manage the patient from evaluation and diagnosis to therapy and treatment.

The program integrates:

  • A multidisciplinary approach
  • Experts in Pulmonology and Cardiology
  • Surgical experts for CTePH and lung transplantation
  • Expertise in rehabilitation (both Cardiac and Pulmonary)
  • Nutritionists/Dieticians
  • Palliative Care expertise for end-stage PH

The multidisciplinary team has access to a broad range of diagnostic and therapeutic services including:

  • Accurate diagnostic studies: PFT, RV echocardiogram, diagnostic RH catheterization
  • Expertise in Medical Therapy: oral, inhaled, parenteral (IV or SC)
  • Surgical ability for thromboendarterectomy for CTePH
  • Advanced Heart Failure therapy – LVAD, Heart Transplant

 

Conditions We Treat

Idiopathic PAH

Drug-induced PAH

PAH associated with connective tissue disease

HIV-associated PAH

Congenital heart disease

Sickle Cell Disease

Pulmonary hypertension due to diastolic dysfunction and left heart disease
Pulmonary Hypertension due to parenchymal lung disease (emphysema, interstitial lung disease)
Chronic thromboembolic PAH (CTEPH)
Pulmonary hypertension associated with other diagnoses (e.g. sarcoidosis, thyroid disease)