Pulmonary hypertension and the interdependence of ventricular function: Part 2: Evaluating the medical and surgical management

Pulmonary hypertension is a hemodynamic problem that can result in grave morbidity and mortality including right-sided heart failure and sudden death. The nature of the pulmonary circulation makes it highly interdependent with right ventricular function. Thus, the study of functional deterioration in pulmonary blood flow should always take into account the impact on right ventricular function, and vice versa. A rational approach to the management of pulmonary hypertension should focus not only on specific dynamics of that low pressure circuit but also on enhancing the function of the right ventricle. In this article, a comprehensive discussion of recent developments in pharmacologic and surgical therapies is provided for the complicated disorder of pulmonary hypertension.