Tomasz Stącel1, Remigiusz Antończyk2, Magdalena Latos3, Mirosław Nęcki1, Piotr Przybyłowski4, Marian Zembala2, Marek Ochman2, Maciej Urlik1. 1. Silesian Center for Heart Diseases, Zabrze, Poland. 2. Silesian Center for Heart Diseases, Zabrze, Poland; Department of Cardiac, Vascular and Endovascular Surgery and Transplantology, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland. 3. Silesian Center for Heart Diseases, Zabrze, Poland; Department of Cardiac, Vascular and Endovascular Surgery and Transplantology, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland. Electronic address: latos.magdalena93@gmail.com. 4. Silesian Center for Heart Diseases, Zabrze, Poland; First Chair of General Surgery Jagiellonian University, Medical College, Kraków, Poland.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Primary pulmonary hypertension can lead to hypertrophy of the right ventricle and ultimately to its insufficiency. Lung transplantation remains the only viable treatment for patients with certain forms of this disease. Usage of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in veno-arterial form (VA-ECMO) after transplantation is both protective for left ventricle (enables adaptation to increased blood flow) and right ventricle (provides time to return to appropriate dimensions and in some cases to correct tricuspid regurgitaion). CASE PRESENTATION: The case study describes 4 patients who were treated with VA-ECMO as a perioperative support. Three patients were diagnosed with idiopathic form of precapillary primary pulmonary hypertension. A fourth patient was a 49-year old woman diagnosed with hypoplastic pulmonary veins representing the postcapillary form of pulmonary hypertension. In all of the cases, VA-ECMO was introduced during the surgery (femoral vein/internal jugular vein and femoral artery) and maintained for several days after the transplantation. Regular echocardiographic and biochemical assessment in postoperative course revealed that cardiac function improved during and after such treatment among all patients. They were successfully weaned off ECMO and finally surgically explanted without any local complications. One patient was treated with awake ECMO protocol. CONCLUSIONS: VA-ECMO was proved to be a useful tool during the transplantation and postoperative period. It helps to restore proper cardiac function, as well as prevent adverse effects of aforementioned pathologic changes of a heart.
BACKGROUND:Primary pulmonary hypertension can lead to hypertrophy of the right ventricle and ultimately to its insufficiency. Lung transplantation remains the only viable treatment for patients with certain forms of this disease. Usage of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in veno-arterial form (VA-ECMO) after transplantation is both protective for left ventricle (enables adaptation to increased blood flow) and right ventricle (provides time to return to appropriate dimensions and in some cases to correct tricuspid regurgitaion). CASE PRESENTATION: The case study describes 4 patients who were treated with VA-ECMO as a perioperative support. Three patients were diagnosed with idiopathic form of precapillary primary pulmonary hypertension. A fourth patient was a 49-year old woman diagnosed with hypoplastic pulmonary veins representing the postcapillary form of pulmonary hypertension. In all of the cases, VA-ECMO was introduced during the surgery (femoral vein/internal jugular vein and femoral artery) and maintained for several days after the transplantation. Regular echocardiographic and biochemical assessment in postoperative course revealed that cardiac function improved during and after such treatment among all patients. They were successfully weaned off ECMO and finally surgically explanted without any local complications. One patient was treated with awake ECMO protocol. CONCLUSIONS:VA-ECMO was proved to be a useful tool during the transplantation and postoperative period. It helps to restore proper cardiac function, as well as prevent adverse effects of aforementioned pathologic changes of a heart.