Abstract
Sildenafil is a selective pulmonary vasodilator that had been introduced recently for the treatment of pulmonary hypertension. We used Sildenafil (Viagra, Pfizer) in 11 patients with pulmonary hypertension divided into 2 groups. Group 1 were 4 patients without cardiac disease: 3 with primary pulmonary hypertension and one with possible connective tissue disease. Group 2 were 7 patients who had cardiac surgery (6 for congenital heart disease and one for mitral valve replacement).
Results: In all patients there was a significant improvement in clinical and echocardiographic parameters of pulmonary hypertension. The effect was more pronounced in group 2 who were all weaned successfully from Sildenafil without side effects. One patient in Group 1 experienced periods of incoherent speech 18 months after the use of Sildenafil.
Conclusion: Sildenafil is an effective and safe drug for the treatment of pulmonary hypertension especially in post-operative patients.