Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Bridging to Living-Donor Lobar Lung Transplantation

A 21-year-old man with pulmonary fibrosis and a 27-year-old woman with idiopathic pulmonary hypertension, who were in pulmonary hypertensive crisis, were successfully treated by using venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, followed by living-donor lobar lung transplantation. In both of the patients, bridging time of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation to lung transplantation was 2 days, and both could be weaned from cardiopulmonary support immediately after transplantation in the operating room. No major complications were seen, including primary graft dysfunction. The cardiopulmonary functions of these patients markedly improved after living-donor lobar lung transplantation. ( Ann Thorac Surg 2009; 88:e56-7) (C) 2009 by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons