Pulmonary Hypertension Program

What is the Pulmonary Hypertension Program?

Expert, multidisciplinary care for all forms of pulmonary hypertension

Tulane Medicine's Pulmonary Hypertension Program provides comprehensive, patient-centered care for people with suspected or established pulmonary hypertension. Through our collaboration with the Comprehensive Pulmonary Hypertension Center at University Medical Center New Orleans, we bring together pulmonary medicine, cardiology, cardiothoracic surgery, lung transplantation, rheumatology, specialized nursing, and other disciplines to provide coordinated evaluation and individualized treatment.

What is pulmonary hypertension?

Pulmonary hypertension, or PH, is high blood pressure in the pulmonary arteries—the blood vessels that carry blood from the right side of the heart to the lungs. In PH, these blood vessels may become narrowed, stiff, or obstructed, making it more difficult for blood to flow through the lungs and causing the right side of the heart to work harder.

Pulmonary hypertension is not a single disease. It is classified into five groups according to its underlying cause, including pulmonary arterial hypertension, PH associated with left-sided heart disease, PH associated with lung disease or low oxygen levels, chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension, and PH associated with other medical conditions. Because symptoms such as shortness of breath, fatigue, dizziness, chest discomfort, and swelling can resemble those of other heart and lung diseases, evaluation by a pulmonary hypertension specialist is important.

Learn more about pulmonary hypertension from the Pulmonary Hypertension Association or visit the PHA’s What Is Pulmonary Hypertension? page.

Pulmonary physician: Shigeki Saito, MD, MSCR

Shigeki Saito, MD, MSCR, is an Associate Professor of Medicine at Tulane University School of Medicine and Co-Director of the Comprehensive Pulmonary Hypertension Center at University Medical Center New Orleans.

Dr. Saito completed his fellowship in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at Tulane University and subsequently completed advanced subspecialty training in pulmonary hypertension at Stanford University. He is board-certified in internal medicine, pulmonary disease, and critical care medicine. Dr. Saito evaluates and treats patients across the full spectrum of pulmonary hypertension, as well as patients with interstitial lung disease and pulmonary fibrosis.

Pulmonary hypertension clinic at University Medical Center New Orleans

Dr. Saito sees patients through the Comprehensive Pulmonary Hypertension Center at University Medical Center New Orleans.

The center is a joint program staffed by specialists from Tulane University School of Medicine and LSU Health New Orleans. It is accredited by the Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PHA) as a Center of Comprehensive Care, the highest level of PHA accreditation. PHA accreditation recognizes centers that meet rigorous standards for the accurate diagnosis, comprehensive treatment, and ongoing management of pulmonary hypertension.

Our center evaluates and treats all forms of pulmonary hypertension, including:

• Pulmonary arterial hypertension.
• PH associated with left-sided heart disease.
• PH associated with lung diseases, including interstitial lung disease, pulmonary fibrosis, and COPD.
• Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension.
• PH associated with connective-tissue diseases, sarcoidosis, congenital heart disease, and other complex medical conditions.

We also evaluate patients who may be at increased risk for pulmonary hypertension, including those with scleroderma or other connective-tissue diseases, interstitial lung disease, sarcoidosis, or a history of pulmonary embolism.

Our team provides coordinated outpatient and inpatient care, expert pulmonary hypertension nursing support, patient education, access to clinical research, and individualized medical therapy. We have extensive experience caring for patients with advanced and severe pulmonary arterial hypertension, including patients who require continuous intravenous or subcutaneous prostacyclin infusion therapy.

Appointments

Pulmonary Hypertension Program
Comprehensive Pulmonary Hypertension Center
University Medical Center New Orleans
2000 Canal Street New Orleans, LA 70112
Phone: 504-702-5057
Fax: 504-702-5728

To request an appointment with Dr. Shigeki Saito or obtain additional information about the program, please contact:

Comprehensive Pulmonary Hypertension Center
Phone: 504-702-5057
Fax: 504-702-5728

Referrals

Health care professionals may refer a patient by completing the center’s online new-patient referral form.

Whenever available, referrals should include relevant clinic notes, medication lists, echocardiography and right-heart catheterization results, pulmonary function and six-minute walk testing, chest imaging, ventilation-perfusion scanning, laboratory results, and insurance or authorization information.

Our dedicated pulmonary hypertension clinic nurses, Ms. Ansanta Cole and Ms. Stephanie Kenny, provide patient education, medication and treatment coordination, and ongoing support for patients receiving standard and advanced pulmonary hypertension therapies.

Collaborative, multidisciplinary care

Pulmonary hypertension is a complex condition that frequently involves both the heart and lungs and may require highly specialized medical or surgical care. Our pulmonary hypertension specialists work closely with cardiology, advanced heart failure, cardiothoracic surgery, lung transplantation, rheumatology, radiology, specialized nursing, social work, nutrition, and other disciplines. This collaborative approach allows us to develop an individualized care plan for each patient and to coordinate advanced treatment when needed.

Cardiology

Our cardiology collaborators include:

• Sasha Vukelic, MD, PhD, Vice Chief of Cardiology and Director of Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology and Mechanical Circulatory Support.
• Sapna Desai, MD, an advanced heart failure and transplant cardiologist with experience caring for patients with pulmonary hypertension and complex cardiopulmonary disease.
• Adam Lick, MD, an advanced heart failure and transplant cardiologist whose clinical interests include pulmonary hypertension–heart failure overlap and dual-organ transplantation.

Our cardiology colleagues contribute expertise in right- and left-sided heart dysfunction, advanced cardiac imaging, complex hemodynamic assessment, mechanical circulatory support, and advanced heart failure and transplant care.

Advanced lung disease and lung transplantation

Muhammad Raheel Qureshi, MD, is a lung transplant pulmonologist at Tulane University with expertise in advanced lung disease, lung transplantation, pulmonary and critical care medicine, and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). Before joining Tulane, Dr. Qureshi held leadership roles in lung transplantation and ECMO at the University of South Florida and Tampa General Hospital.

Dr. Qureshi works closely with the pulmonary hypertension team to evaluate patients with severe pulmonary hypertension, advanced parenchymal lung disease, or both. This collaboration facilitates timely referral and coordinated assessment of patients who may benefit from lung transplantation or other advanced cardiopulmonary therapies.

Cardiothoracic surgery

Jamil Borgi, MD, is Associate Professor of Surgery and Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Tulane.

Dr. Borgi specializes in advanced cardiac and pulmonary surgery, mechanical circulatory support, heart and lung transplantation, and surgery for chronic thromboembolic disease. His experience includes pulmonary thromboendarterectomy for chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension and surgical treatment of advanced heart and lung disease.

Collaboration among pulmonary hypertension specialists, lung transplant pulmonologists, advanced heart failure cardiologists, and cardiothoracic surgeons enables comprehensive evaluation of patients who may benefit from pulmonary thromboendarterectomy, lung transplantation, mechanical cardiopulmonary support, or other advanced procedures.

Understanding Our Pulmonary Hypertension Care

Our pulmonary hypertension services involve several related names that can be confusing. The Tulane Pulmonary Hypertension Program is part of the Comprehensive Pulmonary Hypertension Center at University Medical Center New Orleans. The center brings together specialists from Tulane University School of Medicine and LSU Health New Orleans to provide comprehensive care for patients with pulmonary hypertension.

The Comprehensive Pulmonary Hypertension Center is where patients receive care and meet with members of the pulmonary hypertension team. The center is located within University Medical Center New Orleans in downtown New Orleans.

Frequently Asked Questions