Not many people may have heard of Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension (CTEPH), a medical condition where patients suffer from hypertension because of blood clots in the pulmonary artery. This condition affects lives of lakhs of people in the country.

Pulmonary artery is the vessel that carries blood from the heart to lungs, allowing blood to infuse oxygen. Patients gasp for breath as more and more clots clog this vital vessel, ultimately leading to death. Though this condition can easily be caught in a 2-dimensional echocardiogram, doctors in India are, by and large, treating patients with blood thinners in the absence of expertise in removing blocks.

A team of doctors from the Duke University of the US is in India this week to teach their Indian peers at Yashoda Hospital in Hyderabad on how to clear the way surgically to allow free flow of blood from heart to lungs.

Though the condition is not rare, surgical intervention is. “Only a few centres globally have developed expertise. Duke University is one such centre,” Dr G.S. Rao, Managing Director of Yashoda group of Hospitals, said.

“Though we are aware of this condition in patients, we are trying to treat by using blood thinners. Incidence rate is high,” he said.

Some have an inherited predisposition to develop blood clots. Those who travel long distances and have a sedantary work life are prone to developing clots. This could also cause CTEPH, says Dr Duane R. Davis of Duke University.

"It would cost Rs 3 lakh for surgically correcting this condition against Rs 18-20 lakh in the US,” Dr Rao said.

kurmanath@thehindu.co.in

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