AHS_close_icon_dark_blue
Women playing with dog to prevent high blood pressure

Pulmonary Hypertension Care To Put You At Ease

You have a life to live and while Pulmonary Hypertension can’t be cured, it can be managed through advanced technology, world-class expertise, and whole-person care. Let us help you take control so you can focus on feeling your best and doing the things you love.

World-Class Expertise with Personalized Care

Icon | Pioneering Research

Pioneering Research

Our doctors are at the forefront of pulmonary hypertension research. With seven clinical trials currently active, it’s our goal to provide every chance possible to help you breathe easier and improve your heart and lung health on your path to feeling whole.

Learn More About Research Trials
Icon | Only Pulmonary Hypertension Program in Orlando

Only Pulmonary Hypertension Program in Orlando

AdventHealth Heart, Lung and Vascular Institute is the only comprehensive center to treat pulmonary hypertension in Orlando.

Icon | Nationally Recognized

Nationally Recognized

Feel confident knowing we’ve been recognized by U.S. News & World Report as one of America’s best hospitals for pulmonology and lung surgery.

Personalized Treatment for You

Services and Specialties
  • Six-minute walk testing
  • Advanced therapies for all types of pulmonary hypertension
  • Collaborative care consultations
  • Collaboration with AdventHealth Lung Transplant Program
  • CTEPH management, including on-site surgical option (PTE)
  • Echocardiography
  • Participation in pulmonary hypertension clinical research trials
  • Pulmonary vasodilator studies
  • Right and left heart catheterization
  • SHAPE testing 
  • Trans-esophageal echocardiography
  • Treatment of valvular heart disease (as it relates to pulmonary hypertension)
CTEPH Treatment

Expert Care for Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension (CTEPH)

The AdventHealth Pulmonary Hypertension team specializes in treating different forms of pulmonary hypertension, including chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH).

Symptoms of CTEPH include:

  • Chest pain or tightness
  • Coughing up blood (rare)
  • Cyanosis, fingers and toes with a bluish tint
  • Dizziness
  • Fainting (syncope)
  • Fatigue
  • Heart palpitations
  • Shortness of breath, especially during physical activity
  • Swollen legs due to fluid retention (edema)

CTEPH, although rare, is often curable with surgery and/or medication. The cause of this form of pulmonary hypertension is high blood pressure in the small blood vessels of your lungs.

Symptoms and Diagnosis

Proven Treatment Plans for Pulmonary Hypertension

Pulmonary hypertension is high blood pressure that occurs in the blood vessels in the lungs. It is a different measurement from the systemic blood pressure that your physician determines with an arm cuff during a normal exam. It reflects the pressure the heart must exert to pump blood through the arteries of the lungs.

Patients with pulmonary hypertension may feel extremely fatigued, dizzy and short of breath. As these are symptoms shared by other heart and lung conditions, diagnosing pulmonary hypertension often proves complex. An accurate diagnosis of the type and severity of each patient’s pulmonary hypertension is essential and should be performed under the direction of a team specialized in the diagnosis and treatment of all forms of the disease. Medications and treatment plans must be tailored to each patient’s unique diagnosis.

Medications

Your personalized treatment plan may benefit from medications that can help manage your pulmonary hypertension. These may include:

  • Remodulin intravenous or subcutaneous
  • Tyvaso 
  • Flolan 
  • Veletri
  • Riociguat 
  • Sildenafil/Revatio
  • Adcirca
  • Opsumit 
  • Letairis 
  • Uptravi
  • Ventavis
Surgical Options

Pulmonary Thromboendarterectomy (PTE)

This operation removes organized clotted blood (thrombus) from the pulmonary arteries, which supply blood to the lungs. The surgery can potentially cure a condition called chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH).

With CTEPH, blood clots get trapped within the walls of the arteries and develop scar tissue over time. Pressure in the lungs is high and breathing can be difficult. The blockage leads to high pressures in the arteries eventually leading to right heart failure and damage to the lungs.

Who is eligible for pulmonary thromboendarterectomy (PTE)?

If you have CTEPH, your healthcare provider will examine you in order to assess your general level of health. They will also assess your breathing and the damage to your heart. The location of the blockages helps determine whether or not the surgery will be successful.

Learn more on the physician who specializes in PTE here.

Pulmonary balloon angioplasty: This procedure uses tiny balloons at the tip of long tubes (catheters). They push aside scar tissue to open up narrowed arteries.

Pulmonary endarterectomy: This open surgical procedure removes blood clots from your lung arteries.

Meet Your Pulmonary Hypertension Specialists

Michelle Chance, MSN, APRN, BC
Pulmonary Hypertension
Read Bio
Dr. Stacy Mandras, MD
Transplant Cardiologist, Pulmonary Hypertension
Read Bio
Dr. Jason Stansberry, MD
Pulmonary Hypertension Specialist
Read Bio
Dr. James Tarver III, MD
Director, Pulmonary Hypertension, Cardiologist
Read Bio
Elizabeth Quintero, MSN, APRN, BC
Pulmonary Hypertension
Read Bio
Melisa Wilson, DNP, APRN, BC
Pulmonary Hypertension
Read Bio
Meet Your Team
Treating PH

A wholistic, multidisciplinary approach to treating Pulmonary Hypertension.

PH Care

AdventHealth expert and accredited Pulmonary Hypertension Care.

Palliative Care

Palliative care and when to plan for it.

PH Risk Assessment

Pulmonary Hypertension risk assessment. What is it and why do PH specialists use it?

PHA Center of Comprehensive Care accreditation badge

PHA Center of Comprehensive Care

The Advanced Lung Disease Program at AdventHealth Orlando has been identified and accredited by the Pulmonary Hypertension Association for our commitment to providing expert treatment to patients with pulmonary hypertension. We are the only certified Center of Comprehensive Care in Central Florida and are here to help patients feel strong through our quality of care.

Karen's video thumbnail

Finding Peace with the Right Team

Karen, a young mother, struggled with chronic blood clots for years until she received the diagnosis of PH. After traveling to Orlando from Miami for the expert team at AdventHealth, she finally felt a sense of peace and hope. After a successful highly specialized lung surgery, today, she is thriving.

See Her Story See More Stories
A couple at a picnic holding hands and eating fruit to promote a healthy diet

Support With Every Breath

A strong community encourages a strong heart. From connecting you with others through our cardiac support groups to helping you navigate our financial assistance tools, we’re here to give you the guidance you need to feel whole.

Connect With Your Local PH Support Group
Maps image of AdventHealth locations in Central Florida

Our Locations. Your Options.

As integral pieces of the largest heart, lung and vascular institute in Florida, every one of our Central Florida locations contributes to the strength of the AdventHealth Heart, Lung and Vascular Institute network. Explore your options with the guidance of our dedicated team. We’ll help you find the right fit, so you’re in the best setting to get the care you need.

View All Locations

Our Program Mission Statement

To partner with referring physicians to provide a comprehensive whole body experience for patients with advanced lung disease encompassing accurate diagnosis, treatment, research, and support in a multidisciplinary setting, inspired by the art and science of healing.