Management of Shock in Patients With Pulmonary Embolism-What Role Does a Surgeon Have on the PERT Team? Dr. Amy Hackmann

What Role Does a Surgeon Have on the PERT Team? Dr. Amy Hackmann

Video Transcription

Video Summary

The speaker discusses the role of cardiac surgeons on Pulmonary Embolism Response Teams (PERT), highlighting limited data on acute PE surgery with fewer than 1,600 reported cases over 50 years. Surgical embolectomy is mainly for patients unstable after failing other treatments or unable to receive thrombolytics. The surgery involves multiple incisions and cardiopulmonary bypass, removing dense clots that may be difficult for catheter techniques. Outcomes have improved, with mortality now 6–12%. The speaker contrasts acute PE surgery with thromboendarterectomy for chronic cases, noting better long-term quality of life after the latter. The inclusion of vascular surgeons on PERT teams is also emphasized due to their expertise.

Keywords

Pulmonary Embolism Response Teams

acute PE surgery

surgical embolectomy

cardiopulmonary bypass

vascular surgeons