Unit of Pulmonary hypertension

Pulmonary hypertension is a disease of the small pulmonary arteries in which the diameter of the blood vessels progressively decreases due to a thickening of the walls of the arteries (vasoconstriction). This causes the pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) to increase, leading to right ventricular failure and death.

The Pulmonary Hypertension Unit (PHU) is a renowned leading centre at local, national and international levels for the management of this complex disease. Pulmonary hypertension (PH) presents clinical variants with different prognoses, ranging from prevalent forms, such as those associated with heart and respiratory diseases, to minority and aggressive forms, such as pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH). The unit offers a multidisciplinary and specialized approach, which is necessary given the diagnostic and therapeutic complexity of these cases.

Since the first catheterization for the diagnosis of a case of pulmonary arterial hypertension in 1996, the PH Unit has grown significantly and became a Functional Unit in 2018, with an organizational structure that includes 53 professionals from multiple disciplines. Furthermore, the Hospital Clínic is one of the centres designated as a Reference Centre, Service and Unit (CSUR) in Spain for the treatment of complex PH, and is part of the European Reference Network on Rare Respiratory Diseases (ERN-LUNG), ensuring its leadership and international recognition in the care of rare respiratory diseases.

The unit’s healthcare activities are focused on comprehensive patient care, from diagnosis to follow-up, with outpatient services, a day hospital, haemodynamic studies and hospitalization. The results in terms of care quality are remarkable, with high survival rates and low complication rates compared to other centres. Moreover, the unit carefully manages waiting times, which reflects its commitment to excellence and accessibility. 

In addition to its healthcare role, the unit is actively involved in teaching and research. It provides training to medical and nursing students, organizes specialized programmes and collaborates in numerous clinical trials. Both basic and translational research are fundamental to its work, with high-impact projects and international collaboration. The mission of the PH Unit is to be a benchmark for excellence in pulmonary hypertension treatment, training and research, always focused on the well-being of its patients and on improving their quality of life.