Pulmonary endarterectomy (PEA) is a well-respected method of therapy of the pulmonary hypertension caused by chronic thromboembolic disease. It is performed only at a small number of world-wide centres. Successfully operated patients have a good long-lasting prognosis and highly improved quality of their lives. The authors present two case reports of the first patients on whom the PEA was performed in the General University Hospital in Prague. In the discussion the authors mention the cerebral protection during a deep hypothermic cardiac arrest and prevention of reperfusion lung injury as a key points of PEA influencing the choice of an anaesthesia technique and postoperative care.

        Key words: extracorporeal circulation – pulmonary hypertension – endarterectomy – induced hypothermia – intravenous anaesthesia