Vnitr Lek 2014, 60(12):1051-1054

Past and present issues of the pulmonary circulation in the General University Hospital in Prague

Pavel Jansa^1,*, David Ambrož¹, Jaroslav Lindner²

¹ Centrum pro plicní hypertenzi II. interní kliniky kardiologie a angiologie 1. LF UK a VFN, Praha, přednosta prof. MUDr. Aleš Linhart, DrSc., FESC, FCMA

² II. chirurgická klinika kardiovaskulární chirurgie 1. LF UK a VFN Praha, přednosta prof. MUDr. Jaroslav Lindner, CSc.

The development of right heart catheterization is closely connected not only with its pioneer Werner Forssmann but also with the University Hospital in Prague. Shortly after Forssmann's pioneering performance of catheterization, Dr. Otto Klein measured cardiac output using the Fick's principle in 11 patients in University Hospital. In the 60s and 70s of last century, there was established an research group represented by Severin Daum, Frantisek Boudik, Vlastimil Jezek, Alois Ourednik and Zdenek Suso at 2nd Internal Clinic of General Cardiopulmonary Hospital. After 1999, the issue of pulmonary hypertension has been re-emerged by Professor Michal Aschermann and this had significant clinical implications. The highly specialized centre for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) was found at the clinic and in Cardio Centre of General University Hospital it has been initiated a successful program of pulmonary endarterectomy in chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) since 2004. Surgical treatment is also provided to patients from Slovakia. The number of patients, wide range of therapy and its results, including the excellent results of surgical treatment situates the centre among the most important centres in Europe dealing with pulmonary hypertension.

Keywords: chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension; pulmonary arterial hypertension; pulmonary hypertension; right heart catheterization; University Hospital

Received: October 20, 2014; Accepted: October 29, 2014; Published: December 1, 2014  Show citation